Evening star., 1938-07-16
OF STARS
MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Prosress
in Field, Laboratory
and Study.
BIZ THOMAS r. HENRY.

anu OtuOys
By THOMAS r. HENRY.
In 1885 ITO persons out of every loo, 900
in the United States died of cancer. It
was second alone to heart diseases, with
a rate of 265 per 100000, as a cause of
death.
In 1920 there were only 80 cancer
deaths per 100000. In the intervening
16 years the rate rose steadily-97 in
1880, 102 in 1882, 106 in 1884 and 1O8 in
1885.
The Public Health Service, in an ef-
fort to get at the reasons for the in
crease, now is preparing an extensive
analysis of the data on hand and analyz-
ing the cancer death rate by sections of
the country, age, sex, race and anatom-
ical site. BY this analysis it hopes to
find some answer to the question as to
whether cancer actually is on the in
crease or whether the higher death rate
is only apparent. All sorts of theories
have been advanced. None of the an
swers to date have been entirely satis-
factory.
On their face the figures seem rather
alarming But cancer is largely dis
ease of middle and old age. No accu-
rate measure of any actual change can
be made without taking into considera-
tlon the changing age distribution of
the population, improvement of dag
nosis, and increasing accuracy of vital
statistics. 1t may be that more persons
are dying OF cancer only because more
are living into the cancer age, and that
more cases are being recognized and
recorded.
But there has been disturbing evidence
OF late that there is slight increase
regardless OF age or sharper diagnosis.
For example, in ! recent ANALYSIS of
cancer mortality among a large group
OF pollcyholders of the Metropolitan Life
Insurance Co. DR.. Louis I. Dublin found
that the death rate had showed a mod
crate upward trend from 1911 to 1895.
independent of changes in the age COM
position of the population. He conclud-
ed, however, that good deal of the ap-
parent increase was spurious. 1t was
limited very largely to white males and
was significant only at ages above s..
Such increase as occurred among white
females was at ages above 65. In the
broad age period from IS to 81 the
trend for both sexes was Significantly
downward
This difference in the trends bv sex
~. Duollh stated, can be explained by
the TACT that about -fifths of cancers
among males and only half those among
iemales occur In inaccessible sites where
lilCIerlo they often were not diagnosed
at ALL
There is every probability, Public
Health Service statisticians believe, that
the same conditions will be found in the
population at large, but they are not
quite sure. A number of curious phases
OF the cancer curves remain to be ex-
plalned satisfactorily including the geo.
graphlcal distribution. Why should
massachusetts, have more than three
times as many cancer deaths per 100 900
population as Arkansas-153 to SOP
Why should the District of Columbia
nave l4O such deaths per 100000, COM
pared to 128 and 78, respectively. in
ADJOINING Maryland and Virginia? From
North 10 South, especially in the East,
there seems to be a steady decline.
one PROBABLE reason is that there is
better reporting in the Northeastern
states. where more persons are gathered
IN centers OF population where there are
up-to-date physicians and health de-
partments. Another is that the colored
race is curlouSly immune to cancer com
pared to the white race and the State
with the largest colored population can
De expected to have the lowest rates
The figure for the District of Columbia
which makes bad statistical showing
on so many diseases, is boosted bv the
presence of the service hospitals and also
py the TACT that many elderly persons
spend their declining years here. But
al Ihese reasons do not entirely explain
the preponderance of the Northeast,
eventually the relative immunity of
the colored race may afford a clue to
some OF the reasons for cancer. For
males between the ages of l and "a
the cancer death rate among white males
exceeds that for colored males bv 78 per
cent. But for the same age range
among females the advantage of the COL
ofeo race Is only per cent Whatever
tne factors that cause cancer in men.
Whether they are hereditary or envi-
ronmental, are less operative among Ne
groes. On the other hand the factors
causing cancer among women are lust
ABOUT as potent in one race as the other
IL Is perhaps, of greatest Importance
TO know what kind of cancer is on the
increase. The current view is that cam
Ger cannot be considered as a single
malady, but as a group of maladies with
somewhat similar symptoms, but alto
gether different causes. That is, can
Ger is no more diagnostic than fever. "
Inc apparent rise in the cancer death
rate, whether real or spurious, is keep
ing up Americas basic mortality which
from now on, Public Health Service
statlstlclans realize, can be brought
down permanently only very little at
a time. The great scourges of childhood
nave been pretty well brought under con-
troll. In some cases, such as diphtheria,
tney nave been defeated almost with
single blow with resulting very great
reductions IN the countrys death rate.
Henceforth nothing of the sort can
oe expected. 1t will be hard enough to