Lindex #1033

Askovitz SI

Distribution of Malignant Neoplasms with Reference to the Patient's Religion

Journal of the Albert Einstein Medical Center

1961; 9(4):229-232

This is a review of 5,755 consecutive malignancies diagnosed at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania between January, 1955 and December, 1959, inclusive. Patients were stratified by stated religious preference on the admission sheet as either Hebrew, Catholic, Protestant or "Other." Relative incidence rates for each of 18 forms of cancer as well as for all others were calculated. Hebrews accounted for 25.8 percent (N=1,483) of all cases, Catholics, 21.5 percent (N=1,236), Protestants, 49.8 percent (N=2,865), and "Others," 1.1 percent (N=65), while 1.8 percent (N=106) were not stated.

The total relative incidence rate for Cancer of the Brain and Spinal Cord was 2.3 percent (N=135). For Hebrews, it was 1.3 percent (N=20), Catholics, 3.0 percent (N=37), and Protestants, 2.6 percent (N=74).