London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Southall 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southall]
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19
Cancer
It will be seen by the table of causes of death (page 49) that in 1956 132 cases (67 males
and 65 females) died from cancer. See Appendix, Table VI, for an analysis of cancer
deaths since 1931.
Below is set out in tabular form a classification of the cancer deaths according to the
site of the primary growth and in ages.
Age Groups — Male
| Site | Total | Under 10 | 10-20 | 20-30 | 30-40 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60-70 | 70-80 | 80 + | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| '54 | '55 | '56 | '54 | '55 | '56 | '54 | '55 | '56 | '54 | '55 | '56 | '54 | '55 | '56 | '54 | '55 | '56 | '54 | '55 | '56 | '54 | '55 | '56 | '54 | '55 | '56 | '54 | '55 | '56 | |
| Lung | 20 | 18 | 29 | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | - | - |
| Stomach | 10 | 14 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | - | 5 | 7 | I | 4 | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Intestine | 14 | 11 | 9 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 3 | - | 6 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | - | - |
| Bladder | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
| Prostate | 1 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | 1 | - |
| Breast | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other | 24 | 12 | 22 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | I | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 7 | - | 1 | 4 | |
| Totals | 72 | 60 | 67 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 20 | 12 | 12 | 23 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 21 | 4 | 2 | 5 |
Age Groups — Female
| Site | Total | Under 10 | 10-20 | 20-30 | 30-40 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60-70 | 70-80 | 80 + | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| '54 | '55 | '56 | '54 | '55 | '56 | '54 | '55 | '56 | '54 | '55 | '56 | '54 | '55 | '56 | '54 | '55 | '56 | '54 | '55 | '56 | '54 | '55 | '56 | '54 | '55 | '56 | '54 | '55 | '56 | |
| Breast | 17 | 6 | 16 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | - | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | - | 2 |
| Lung | 2 | 3 | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - |
| Stomach | 5 | 9 | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | - | 4 | 1 |
| Uterus | 3 | 5 | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | - | 2 | 2 | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| Intestine | 6 | 15 | 11 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | 3 | - | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | 4 | 3 |
| Bladder | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | |
| Other | 10 | 9 | 19- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5 | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | - | 3 |
| Totals | 43 | 49 | 65 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 9 | 9 |
These figures are inclusive of the deaths occurring at St. Bernard's Hospital, Norwood Hall and Vine Cottage.
The total number of deaths from cancer in 1956 rose, being 132 as compared with 109
in 1955. There was a 60% increase in the deaths from cancer of the lung in males from 18
in 1955 to 29 in 1956, the rest of the increase occurring evenly between males and females in
the unclassified cancer deaths, these being in various sites, larynx, oesophagus, pancreas,
genital organs, bones, brain, etc., only one or at the most two for each site. The increase
was greater in females than in males, i.e. 65 female cancer deaths in 1956 as compared with
49 for 1955 and 67 male deaths from cancer in 1956 as compared with 60 in 1955.
Distribution of Infectious Disease Notifications
For the incidence of various infectious diseases notified during the year, under age
groups and locality, see Appendix, Tables VII and VIII.
Infectious Disease Visits
During the year, the Public Health Inspectors paid 174 visits with reference to cases of
infectious disease. In addition, the County Health Visitors did a certain amount of home
and school visiting in connection with infectious diseases.
Laboratory Work
Specimens taken for bacteriological or chemical investigation, in connection
particularly with infectious disease cases, are brought daily to the Manor House and
transported to the Ealing Public Health Laboratory. The necessary investigations are
carried out and results reported simultaneously to the Medical Officer of Health and to
any doctor who has submitted a specimen from one of his patients. Details of the work
carried out in 1956 are as follows:—
Faeces specimens 282
Sputum specimens 19
Blood specimens 11
Urine specimens 12
Swabs (nose, throat, ear and rectal) 29