A variant of a descriptive epidemiological study of cancer with the aid of a minicomputer

The presented method of descriptive epidemiological study with the aid of a computer was designed using the model of an average district with a data file of carcinoma incidence from the period 1975-1983. The method is based on processing the statistical characteristics of a data file and on their evaluation. Plotting the coordinates of the communities and of the boundaries of the district constitutes the frame for the construction of maps. The population is divided into age groups of 5 years, incidence is standardized with respect to the age standard of the district. The selection of boundaries (isolines) of zones in the maps is based on the evaluation of the distribution of incidences and on the relative number of inhabitants in communities classified according to the standardized values. The application of the study to the work of centers for clinical oncology is discussed.