Cancer incidence no higher (11/11/03)

Over the past several years there have been questions as to whether Jay County has more than its share of cancer, as well as other diseases. A number of times there have been questions about certain local industrial exposures or farm chemical contacts that are producing an unusual rate of this disease.

Many of the statistics that have been published in the past are years behind actual events, so far that they tend to be ignored by many. What good are figures that are three to five years old? However, in 2001 an effort was made to correct this excessive lag time. Sixty-two different organizations — led by Indiana University, the American Cancer Society and the Indiana State Board of Health — have the Indiana Cancer Consortium, which is bringing the numbers up to date. These corrected figures in 2001 revealed no unusual bubbles occurring in the county.

The use of statistical data helps in planning treatments as well as prevention of the disease. So the more recent the figures are, the more value they represent.

Diagnosis, treatments and management are beyond this report; however, prevention is of interest to us all. Thirty percent of all cancers are related to tobacco usage; another third may be related to manipulation of body weight and diet; a substantial percent is related to sun exposure. Only about 5 percent of cancers are related to infection exposure, such as Hepatitis B, AIDS or the papilloma virus. Basically, cancers are age related as more than 75 percent occur after age 55.

Nationally, the incidents are 463 cases per 100,000 per year; in Indiana, the rate is 451 per 100,000 persons, so the state is slightly below the national averages.

There are slight differences in the incidences of diseases in races, and there are obvious sexual differences such as prostate, breast and uterine cancers.

Incidence (per 100,000 people

All sites - 442; Jay County - 407.4

Colon - 56.1; Jay County, 65.5

Breast - 69.2; Jay County - 66

Lung - 74.8; Jay County 56.7.

These sample numbers indicate no great variation in the occurrence of cancer in Jay County. Due to a relatively low county census, even a case or two per year can change the rates significantly.

There are extensive numbers available regarding many organ systems, ages, race and by sex if someone is interested. But the intent of this report is to show that we are pretty average in both the state and nation regarding this health issue.

Eugene M. Gillum, M.D.

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