On the incidence of malignant tumors in routine autopsies

Abstract

The present study taken over a 12-year time period analyzes malignant tumors in a large number of autopsies, with specific consideration of the frequency and location, age and sex group distribution, and histologic classification of the tumors. The tumors were first evaluated in terms of specific organs and organ systems and were then histologically classified. On a total of 23338 subjects who died between the years 1960 and 1971, 17052 autopsies were carried out (73.1%) and only 15384 (65.9%) of these were evaluated for out study. Altogether we located 4911 cases of MT, i.e., 31.9% of the evaluated autopsies. The number of MT in the males slightly exceeded that in the females (2508[51.1%] MT and 2403 [48.9%] MT, respectively.) We calculated over 60% of the MT to be in the 7th and 8th age groups. By comparing the two time periods (1960-1965) and 1966-1971) we calculated a significant increase in the MT rate by 1.7%. This increase was found mainly to effect the males (the female group showed only a slight increase). The greatest number of MT were located in the digestive system with an MT rate of 26.2%; next came the urogenital system (23.4%) and then the respiratory system (18.7%). The respiratory system took first position of importance in the males with an MT rate of 30.3% followed by the digestive system with 27.4%. The urogenital system dominated in the females with a rate of 29.0%. The rate of MT of the respiratory system was significantly higher in the males...