V. CANCER MORTALITY Cancer is one of the major causes of death in the heavily industrialized countries of North America and Europe, and also Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. As with cardiovascular diseases, these are the countries which have the largest proportion of older people in their populations. The highest mortality rate per 100,000 of population in industrialized countries is to be found in Scotland (206.2) and in England and Wales (205.5) and the lowest in Portugal (84.1). The United States has a rate of 145.8. In less industrialized countries where data are available Ceylon has the lowest rate (18.1) and Chile the highest (90.2). Mortality from all forms of cancer is much greater for men than for women. The sharpest rise occurs after the age of 40, and the incidence is particularly heavy after the age of 60. Cancer of the digestive system accounts for a little more than half of cancer deaths. In recent years, however, there has been a rather startling increase in deaths from cancer of the respiratory system, chiefly among men where the rise has ranged from 21 to 50 percent. Overall cancer mortality rates have steadily increased over the past several decades. The chief exception has been in certain forms of cancer in women where improved diagnosis and treatment have to some extent arrested the rise. In general, the overall rise is accounted for by better diagnostic methods permitting the detection of more cases, the aging of the population, and the decrease in the number of deaths from other causes. There is evidence which suggests that heavy cigarette smoking and various types of air pollution in urbanindustrial areas may be contributing factors to the increase in cancer of the respiratory system. W. FOOD PRODUCTION Since World War II, there has been an impressive increase in food production throughout the world, and the increase has been especially marked during the past several years. For the entire world, the index figure (based on the 1934-38 average=100) has risen from 107 in 1951 to 120 in 1955. The greatest gains between 1951 and 1955 have been made in Western Europe (103 to 124), Latin America (124 to 139), the Near East (115 to 138), and Africa (123 to 142). North American has reached the highest index figure of gain over the prewar level (138 to 145), though its proportionate gain during these years was far less spectacular than in other countries. The smallest percentage increase from 1951 to 1955 has been in the Far East (a 10-point rise from 99 to 109) and in Oceania (112 to 116), both of which are below the worldwide average rise. In some of the less developed countries, however, these increases have by no means kept pace with the increases in population. In Latin America, as of 1955, the per capita production of food has fallen below the prewar level by 6 percent; Oceania by 13 percent; and the Far East, with almost half of the world's population, by 14 percent. The most striking gains have occurred in Western Europe, which by 1955 had converted a 6-point per capita loss to a 9 point gain; and in the Near East, which moved from minus 3 to plus 6. North America has raised its per capita index from 113 to 118, and Africa from 103 to 109. For the entire world, the index figure has moved from 5 points below the prewar level in 1951 to 1 point above in 1955. |