Abstract

Medical records of the inpatients with diagnosis of either ICD-9 155, or 197, or 211 in the claims sent by medical care institutions to the Korea Medical Insurance Corporation(KMIC) during the period from January I, 1986 to December 31, 1987 were abstracted in order to identify and confirm the new cases of primary liver cancer (PLCA) among the beneficiaries of the KMIC. Using these data from the KMIC, the incidence of PLCA among Koreans was estimated as of July I, 1986 June 30, 1987. The crude rates are estimated to be 20 7 and 6.2 per 100,000 in male and female, respectively. And the cumulative rates for the age spans (I-64 and 0-74 in male are 2 55% and 3. 56%;, respectively. In female they are 0.53% and 0.91%. The adjusted rates for the world population are 30.5 in male and 7.6 in female, which are very similar to those of Osaka in Japan and of Shanghai in China. However, the truncated rates for the age group of 35-64 years old are 74. 8 in male and 15. 6 in female, which may be the highest in the world. Among Koreans in Korea increased risk of PLCA in the middle age is the notable finding. Etiologic implication of environmental exogenous factors on PLCA and need for further etiologic studies are mentioned.