Whether the incidence of cancer among residents of Cowdenbeath and Lochore is any greater than the average incidence in equivalent populati…

Available data do not suggest that the overall incidence of cancer amongst residents of the Cowdenbeath and Lochore area of Fife is unusual when compared with that for Fife Health Board or Scotland as a whole. The table below sets out the observed and expected number of cases in postcode sectors best representing Cowdenbeath and Lochore areas based on rates for (a) Scotland and (b) Fife Health Board area; all ages, by sex: 1988-97.In all comparisons the ratios of the observed to expected numbers of cases are close to one, and the associated 95% confidence intervals all include the value of one, indicating that any departure from the expectation is not statistically significant.Incidence of all malignant neoplasms excluding non melanoma skin (ICD-9 173 / ICD-10 C44)(a) Compared with Scotland
| Observedregistrations | Expectedregistrations | O / E
Males | 510 | 513 | 1.00
Females | 518 | 505 | 1.03
(b) Compared with Fife HB | |
| Observedregistrations | Expectedregistrations | O / E
Males | 510 | 494 | 1.03
Females | 518 | 493 | 1.05
Source: SOCRATES (Scottish cancer registration database); these figures prepared on 6 February 2001.Population data supplied to ISD Scotland by GRO(S)