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' I . November 14, 1975 -SUH,IECT: "Cancer Death Toll Rises 5.2% in 1975" -MEMORANDUM: - - TO : Horace R. Korne g3y FROM: Marvin A. Kastenbaum Death Rate: humber- dying of cancer - number alive An increase wi11 arise in any one of the following three ways: 1. increase in number of people dying of cancer 2. decrease in number of people alive 3. a combination of both. I-think # 3 is the likeliest phenomenon because: 1. The breast cancer scare that-was created by the Fords and the Rockefellers. 2. The need for the "war on cancer" to be taken seriously-in light of charges such as those leveled by Greenberg very early this year. This could be accomplished by intensive counting of cancers of all sorts. 3. Industrial establishments are calling cancer by its proper name - even though it is beginning to hurt. Increased diagnosis among blacks and elderly people in general. This is a manifestation of more medical attention rather-than better medical care. (Medicare - Medicaid) 5. -1975 is the midyear between decennial censuses. There may have been an adjustment downward in the population estimates. This frequently happens with census estimates.

,j 6. Finally, unless my arithmetic is way off, the stunning 5.2% should really be 4.0%; if the -newspaper numbers are correct : - 1974 rate 169.5 July 1, 1975 rate 176.3 Difference 6.8 6.8 100 x - - ---4,Q% 169.5 -