The Incidence of Cancer in Cook County, Illinois, 1937

This is one of a series of studies being undertaken to determine the number of persons with diagnosed cancer in the population. Data were collected from each physician and hospital in Cook County (Chicago), Illinois concerning all persons under treatment or observation for cancer during 1937. The number of resident cases reported was 11,760 or 290 per 100,000 population. Cases occur at all ages but about 60% of the ?$ and 50% of the eft? with cancer were between 30 and 60 yrs. of age. The stomach was the most frequent site attacked among eft?. As a group the digestive system included more than 1/3 of the reported sites while the genito-urinary system included another 1/5. 56% of the $$ had cancer of the breast or uterus. The location of the primary site of cancer varies markedly with the age of the patient. Nearly 50% of the cases had been under medical care less than six mos.; more than 80% of the patients who died during the yr. had received treatment for less than 1 yr.