Cancer prevalence in israeli family practice: The cancer Research group

Abstract

Objectives - To study the prevalence of different cancers in several communities in Israel, using data supplied by family physicians, and compare these with the data from the National Cancer Registry. The attendance pattern of cancer patients at the family practice and consulatation clinics was also studied. Design - 17 family physicians reported on all living cancer patients under their care. Setting - 15 family practices in northern Israel, urban and rural, Jewish and Arab. Subjects - The study population included nearly 26000 patients. Outcome measures - Standardised prevalence rates of cancer for different types of cancer and for different communities (per 1000 people at risk); duration of survival since the diagnosis. Results - 249 cancer patients were identified, excluding 130 with basal cell car-cinama (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin, giving a prevalence of 9.6/1000 (excluding BCC and SCC). This is lower than that of the few reports found in the literature. Half of the cancer patients in the study had survived over five years since the diagnosis. Marked differences were found between the Jewish and Arab populations, with standardized prevalence of less than half among the Arabs. Significant differences were also found between the different types of Jewish community, kibbutzim having a rate three times higher than any of the others. A comparison of the data from the study with those of the Israel National Cancer Registry showed 50% more cases known to the ambulatory system. Half of this discrepancy is inexplicable. Conclusions - Data collection in cancer care should be supplemented from primary care sources. Larger studies, with emphasis on registration quality control, are required, to explain some of the differences found in cancer prevalence between different communities. © 1994 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted.