[The incidence and prevalence of malignant diseases. A secondary data analysis of a representative random sample of those with local compulsory medical insurance in Dortmund].

Prevalence and distribution of malignant neoplasms were obtained in 1988 and 1989 from a representative random sample of 5% of insured members of the statutory health insurance company in Dortmund, Germany (7447 persons). Data were gathered from medical certificates the diagnosis being further validated internally by other patient data. The cancer prevalence in the sample was 2.3% (males 1.6%, females 3.0%). The average age of the 174 patients with cancer was 67.5 years, half of them 70 years or over. The most frequent cancer was that of the breast (32.2%), followed by that of the colorectum (14.3%) and the skin (12.5%). Standardized for age and sex the prevalence of cancer for the whole population of the Federal Republic of Germany (excluding the former German Democratic Republic) was calculated as 2.2% (males 1.7%, females 2.5%), i.e. 1.33 million patients. The incidence of cancer for 1989 was 0.54%. Taking into account special methodological considerations, the secondary analysis of data obtained from the described source provides information relevant to the care of patients with cancer and thus makes a valuable contribution to the documentation of medical care provision.