The occurrence of lung cancer in man
Levin, M.L.
Acta - Unio Internationalis Contra Cancrum 9(3): 531-541
1953
ISSN/ISBN: 0365-3056 PMID: 13124110 Document Number: 10143
The terms Endemiology and Epidemiology are being discussed, and a new general term Demiology proposed to indicate the synthesis of knowledge regarding the « normal » occurrence of a disease in the general population and its higher (or lower) than normal occurrence in sub-groups of that population. It is supported that there must be looked for some environmental factors if the increase in lung cancer incidence is real. Sex and age differences in the recorded increase in lung cancer mortality are shown, and it is stated that a real increase in incidence cannot be excluded, and that this increase appears to be the more reasonable explanation of the observed facts. The peak in the age-specific mortality curve is elucidated on the basis of a cohort analysis, and it has been found that even a conservative projection of the cohortal rates for New York State predicts a marked increase in lung cancer within the next decade. Various investigations on lung cancer and smoking are being discussed, .and three measures of the association of smoking and lung cancer are computed for different materials. On the basis of these studies it is concluded that lung cancer incidence among cigarette smokers is 4 to 7 times as high as among non-smokers, and that 50 to 75 per cent, of lung cancer in males is attributable to smoking. The relation between association and causation is further discussed, and it is stressed that «causative factor » not means « sole causative factor ». Finally practical ways in testing causation are considered in the light of smoking as a possible cause.
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