Cancer of the colon: Socioeconomic variables in a community

Lynch, H. T. (Creighton U. School of Medicine, Omaha, NE 68178), H.Guirgis, J. Lynch, F. D. Brodkey and H. Magee. Cancer of the colon: socioeconomic variables in a community. Am J Epidemiol 102: 119-127, 1975.-Carcinoma of the colon was studied in Omaha-Douglas County, Nebraska (population 345, 000). A total of 154 casesof colon cancer were diagnosed in 1964 (44.7/100, 000). The frequency distributionof these patients in specific census tracts of this community was determined. Statisticalanalysis of the data showed a greater frequency of colon cancer in patients living in census tracts with higher average income. Colon cancer appears to be non-randomly distributed with respect to the income and socioeconomic status of its victims, suggesting that hypotheses consistent with environmental variables-particularly those characterizingextremely high versus extremely low socioeconomic groups, including occupation, diet andother life patterns-should be pursued. All of these data have implications for cancer epidemiology, cancer control, and carcinogenesis.