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,Baltimore Stfvey Shows Poor ~ Hopkins Oncology Center ~d he American Cancer Society,, Maryland At Highest Risk for Several Ca's `Evennwhen an association has been established bet w~ee nv an ro l n e t nment a tnternationat'Medicpt News Senvire The largest urban excess occurs in fgctor and the developmenc of eancer, H v ~ BALTIMORE - The overall incidence lung and other smoking-related cancers. some people refuse to change, espe- of cancer is higher in urban than in This finding is consistent with the cially if there is any ambiguity, said rural areas, but interpreting this phe- higher prevalence of cigarette smoking Dr' Hrnvard, of the National Cancer ~ nomenon requires consideration of a in urban areas, althou& occupational Institute, Bethesda, Md 3. number of variables, two speakers exposure and industrial pollution may The associations, between cigarette ~ agreed at a symposium sponsored by also be contributing factors, smoking and lung, cancer, exposure to the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center The incidence of' breast cancer is sunlight and skin cancer, and alcohol and the American Cancer Society, also higher in the more densely pupu- consumption and esophageallcancer all Mary,land division. lated portions of the country. The lower tend to be ignored by many persons Industrial pollution, low socioeco- fertility pattern among women in urban at risk. nomic status, and certain types of em- areas may account for part of'~ this in- Moreover; infotmation, about some ployment appear to contribute to the creased incidence, he said. environmental factors known to con- risk for cancer in Baltimore, said Dr. The incidence of, cervical cancer is tribute to the development of' the dis- Genevieve Matanoski, professor of ep- decreasing in all sections of the United ease may, be withheld from the public idemiology at the Johns Hopkins Uni- States, but the rate of decline is faster or be downplayed by powerful groups versity School' of Hygiene and Public in the moretiheavily populated areas. with a vestedi interest in the status Health, Baltimore. Much of the decline is probably the quo, she s_aid._ The results of an epidemiologic sur- result of more aggressive screenin ' ~' ``~ vey of the city showed that' people liv- g Some envirnnmental contaminants, programs, particularly in urban areas. such as industrial pollutants, are so ing in the lowest socioeconomic areas The incidence of cancer of the mouth endemic to our life-style that it is vir, appear to be at highest risk for lung, and throat in women is higher in the tually impossible for single individuals pharyngeal, and stomach cancer. It is South than in other sections because of to do anything about them, Dr.. Howard in these same areas that sources of' the chronic use of snuff by many said. pollution; such as chemical plants and women who reside in rural areas. This The reluctance to alter life-styles is incinerators, are concentrated. finding is of' concern because of the Individuals employed in the transpor- increasing P°PularitY of snuff amon reinforced by the long~ latency' period g for some cancers and the feeling that tation indilstry; including trucking andi teen-age boys. little can be done today, about exposure taxi driving, were found'to be at higher If the trend continues, tobacco chew- a,a carcinogen many years earlier, she risk for lung cancer than was the gen- ing can become a major health prob- said. ' eral, population. Whether the increased lem, Dr. Blot said. Some exposure involves a: trade-off y risk is related to cigarette smoking is The single most importanv predictor between a known risk and its possible ` not clear, she said. of colon cancer is residence in the benefits, as in the use of X-rays for An unexpected finding was that up- Northeast, but why this is so is not diagnostic purposes. holsterers and tailors also had a higher known. Urban,areas contain a relatively The same reluctance to practice pre- risk for lung cancer. large number of foreigp-bom residents, vention is evident in the area of sec- Forty-eight percent of all cancers and this may contribute to the increased ondary intervention. Many people tryy found among, people residing near a rate incidence of colomcancer and other to avoid the health care systemw even plant that manufaetured'arsenicals were tum~ ors. ~ though it can play a crucial role in f the cit h I y n ot er areas o lung cancers. lung cancer comprised'~only 33% of,all • • ear1Y detection. ManyIndividuals Fear becomes an increasingly impor- cancers: tant factor when cancer is suspected, This is not surprising since lung can- . • and some people delay seeking medical cer is a known consequence of arsenic Resist Changing attention outi of fear of having their exposure; however, it is difficult to draw, • suspicions confirmed, Dr. Howard eom- frrn conclusions from these findings L.(l~trle to Curb mented. since it cannot be assumed that the 11 /.]4,' 1 The cost and; effort involved, the people studied are long-time residents Risk ~' s~ occasionalifalse positives, and the pos- of the area, Dr. Matanoski said. Risi1 lor C~.anCer sibility of! iatrogenic injury combine to William J. Blot, Ph.D., of the Na- deter some from seeking medical care tional Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md., when a cancer may still be at an early said urban-rural differences in the inci- r•temazio+at Medird n+e..Vr Ser<•ice dence of cancer are disease-specific and BALTIMORE - Environmental factors stage and subject to cure. vary considerably from one type of are clearly implicated in the develop- "If' a person does not smoke or drink cancerto anothcr. ment of some cancers, but many peo- to excess, the evidence of what should es in life- be done to prevent cancer is more un- . plp resist making the chan g h in h i d i d beh i l av or m g t c e n, Pru ent' ,~ style that would'~reduce the risk of the certa e012aru such as reducing fat said at a dietary change, P~e c Rc .ToNsoouns€L disease Jan Howard Ph:D - „ , ~,~~, ., ~t°n symposium sponsored by, the Johns intake, but this remains to be proved~' andAssociates,lnc Dr. Howard said. 13 LINGOLN ROAD.•P,O. BOX223. •GREAT NECK, N.Y. 11022. •(516)M1®2-5715 '

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