Evening star., 1948-06-21
Stars, Men and Atoms
12-Yeor Record Of Cancer
Gives New Study Material
Connecticut Report Indicates
Incidence Throughout u. S.
By Thomas r. Henry

The most comprehensive picture Of the can
Ger situation In the United States-the rate Of
incidence by ages for various parts OF the body
for men and women and the likelihood Of sur
vival by age and sex groups-has just been
published by the American College Of Surgeons.
1t Is based on the 12-year experience with
37,863 diagnosed malignant tumors in Con-
necticut. There, Of course, facilities for both
diagnosis and treatment are among the
best In the world. The State has had an
active program Of public education on the cam
Ger problem. In most states fewer cases would
be diagnosed and fewer victims saved from the
mysterious group Of maladies, which appear
to involve the basic processes Of life itself.
that now has become the second leading cause
of death. But the almost ideal picture, 1t may
be assumed, Is very close to true picture for
the country as a whole If the national statis-
tics were better.
BY and large, it is a gloomy picture, par
ticularly for women. But, the report points
out. Connecticut has more women than men
so the statistics may be somewhat misleading.
Each year, it is shown approximately 2o7 per-
sons per 100000 Of the population will be
found to have malignant growths-1s4 men
per 900 and 224 women per 100000.
Mems Death Rate Stays Same. H.
AAc AClQc1lCC IAtc HAS DCCn TSlIS QuIluk
the period under study. even when adjustment
is made for age. The death rate for men,
however, is remaining about the same and
there is very slight decline among women.
This indicates that physicians and surgeons
at least are holding their own against the most
insidious physical foe of the human race.
In Connecticut 668 persons of every 100000
in the population have had a history Of cancer
at some time in their nves-804 per 100000
females and 53l males. OF these 174, little
better than one in four, have survived treat
ment from one to IL years. The chances have
been better for women than for men-220
compared to 1913 per 100000. The totals look
. little better than the cold detailed statistics
There were found in the State nearly $4,000
persons in whom cancer had at some time
been diagnosed and who still were alive five
years later.
If the experience of the State is typical
one-fourth of all cancers among women Is OF
the breast and one-fourth of the genital tract.
Among men the picture is far different-one-
third of the stomach and other organs of the
abdominal cavity, one-eighth of the skin one
tenth of the upper respiratory tract and one
ninth OF the genital tract. The fact that there
are slightly more survivals among women is
attributed primarily to the fact that female
cancers are more easily observable and are
more likely to be called to the attention Of
physicians.
Early Diagnosis Helps.
The statistics as a whole give promise Of def
inite even If slight, improvement with earlier
diagnosis by competent physicians. For each
Of the Il years there has been a little gain
and, says the report, "the promise of more gen.
eral and adequate surgical interv ntion in
cancer of the stomach. intestines, head, neck
and bladder suggest immediate improvement
which constitute over one-third Of the total"
Reduction Of delay among women would re-
suit in immediate improvement in cancer Of
the breast and genital tract, which account
for half of all cancers among them.
The Connecticut figures show that the av-
erage age for diagnosis is 50 years for men
and IS years for wcmen. There is wide age
range within these averages but they givs
cancer detection clinics a clue to the groups
toward which the most intensive educational
programs should be directed
In Connecticut, the report points out, prob
ably the most significant factor in the slight
reduction has been in earlier diagnosis. But,
1t concludes, "the major promise of improve
ment lies in knowing the location of each
patient with cancer and of supplying or stim-
ulating follow-ups as long he lives, so that
the newer findings Of the laboratories for al
deviation as we'll as cure may be applied more
rapidly and more universally"