What was the percentage of people diagnosed with cancer in 1920 or some other pre WW2 years.?

The average life expectancy in 1920 was 56.4 years. People back then were more likely to die of heart attacks, infections (there were no antibiotics back then) and accidents than cancer (which primarily affects older adults, particularly after the age of 60). Today's 1 in 3 cancer projection includes skin cancers, which are very common and, in most cases, easily curable.

http://www.efmoody.com/estate/lifeexpectancy.html

It is not really known. Cancer diagnosis was still in its infancy then. We did not have good ways to peer into the body, and surgery was still very primitive by today's standards. Also, there were a lot of diseases that we have largely beat back which were still deadly in the 20's.

Here is a small blurb of the history of working with cancer:

http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/web...

A fantastic book on the subject is The Emperor of All Maladies.

I don't know, but i know that so called "cancer epidemic" is a myth. people now live longer with cancer, when times ago cancer killed a person in some weeks, now patient with same type of cancer can live years or even decades. It was not long time ago when diagnosis of leukemia did meant certain death, now it is quite often curable. As a result we see cancer more often because peoples with cancer do live on.

Cancer is becoming a chronic disease, not necessarily fatal.

It's difficult to compare anyway because people didn't live as long as they do now. As cancer is predominantly an older person's disease the majority of people died before they got old enough to get cancer.

Chrystal I am very sorry about your daughter but that is why I said predominantly. Childhood cancer is something that no one would wish on anyone but luckily it is nowhere near 1 in 3 ratio.

Your question insinuates that events centered around WWII may have increased cancer rates, and I believe you are correct. Above ground nuclear testing and the onset of the nuclear age effected our environment in several ways; 1) it is responsible for the destruction of the ozone layer, and 2) the radioactive fallout mixed with the dust that surrounds everyone, and 3) refinement of uranium ores into fuel grade rods for nuclear power plants has caused major pollution in certain areas, including ground water contamination and airborne pathogens. I live in Canon City, CO, and the Cotter Corporation operated with impunity in this area, with total disregard for surrounding population quality of life. Thanks to a recent Governor's ruling, they were prohibited from continuing their operation (genocide?) until they cleaned up their existing mess. This caused them to look elsewhere to pollute (watch out St. Louis!). I am a cancer survivor thanks to an ancient native American treatment now called Essiac Tea or Camas Prairie Tea.

ok I don't know the answer to this question but to all you saying that cancer is predominantly old people.... tell that to my daughter who passed at the ripe old age of 2.... cancer affects everyone at some point in life it's in our genes, take a trip to any children's hospital or children's cancer clinic, you can barely get in the door..... cancer has become an epidemic and that was told to me from a pediatric oncologist.....

We did not keep records back then, so no one knows.