Malignant Neoplasms Among Koreans --A statistical study based on biopsy materials and blood smears--

Abstract

A statistical survey on the primary malignant neoplasms among Koreans based on biopsy materials and blood and bone marrow smears was performed. In this study 2,7,,7 cases of total primary malignant tumors (male l , .1,,8 cases, female 1, 299 cases) diagnosl'r! at the Departments of Anatomical Pathology and Clinical Pathology, Seoul National University Hospital, during a period of five years, from ]970 to 1974, were subjected. All malignant neoplasms were classified according to the WIlO code number. The relative (site) incidence Jl1 male by the frequency ratio is highest for cancer of stomach (14. S%), and thereafter in order of frequency ratio, by leukemia (13.7%), larynx (6.9%), skin (5.4%), lung (5.1%), urinary bladder (.J. 3%), oral cavity except tongue (3.4%), and rectum(3.1 %). The relative (site) incidence in female by the frequency ratio is highest for cancer of the uterine cervix (35.3%), and follows in order of cancers of breast (9.9%), stomach (7.4%), leukemia (5.9%), malignant lymphoma (5.2 %), thyroid (-1. 9%), rectum (-I. 0%), skin (2.6%), liver (2.0%), and urinary bladder (1. S%). The age distribution of malignant neoplasms shows the highest frequency in the sixth decade (26.1%) in male and the fith decade (28.9%) in female. Generally, the annual identification of total malignant neoplasms shows a tendency of gradual increase since the first year. And the increase is more pronounded in cancers of the pharynx, lungs, prostate and brain in male and cancers of thyroid and uterine cervix in female.