Health ministry releases cancer occurrence data by region

Health ministry releases cancer occurrence data by region. November. 23, 2016 07:22. by Ho-Kyeong Kim kimhk@donga.com. The ratio of breast and prostatic cancer patients to total population in the southern area districts in Seoul and Bundang in Seongnam City, both areas where many of the residents belong to high-income bracket, is the highest in Korea. The Health and Welfare Ministry announced Tuesday a cancer occurrence data and map for cities, provinces, districts between 1999 and 2013 for 24 types of cancers, based on gender and areas. It is the first survey through death from cancer for nationwide and regional areas had been announced since 2015.

The ministry made the ranking by converting to cancer checked patients among 100,000 people after considering the population differences for cities, provinces and districts. Seocho ranked first with 65.1 people among 100,000 people, followed by Gangnam with 64.4 people, Suji district in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province at 63 people, and Bundang with 62.2 people. The area with the highest occurrence of thyroid gland cancer was Gangnam at 47.7 people and the lowest area was Hoengseong, Gangwon Province at 3.8 people.

Thyroid gland cancer occurrence rate was the highest in Suji at 48.8 people, followed by Bundang at 44.8 people, Seocho 43.4 people and Gangnam 42.2 people. Experts said the higher rate in these areas is because high income area residents tend to undertake health checkups more frequently.