title: [The use of information theory in the evaluation of cancer control].
abstract: The age-adjusted incidence/mortality rate has been used as an index for the decrease in cancer deaths due to the first and second prevention. This index is popular in the fields of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, but does not represent the increase in cancer deaths among the elderly and the variation among the rates of primary cancer in each organ. If preventive activities have contributed to cancer control, the age distribution of the incidence/mortality of cancer patients should be skewed to old age, and the rates at high-risk cancer sites should be decreased. To evaluate the results of attempts at cancer prevention, a new index called "entropy" was produced using Information Theory. The "entropy" index of the age distribution of deaths from cancer, when calculated by Brillouin's formula, decreased chronologically and the "entropy" index of the site distribution increases. These results indicates that recent cancer control has been effective. In conclusion, this new index "entropy" seems quite useful in evaluating the effects of cancer control.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Epidemiology, Kanagawa Cancer Center.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morio
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007257:Information Theory; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014798:Vital Statistics