To figure out the epidemiologic characteristics of cancer in Korea during recent
years, changing patterns of cancer admission - as a proxy of cancer morbidity - were
observed by analysing the cancer admission data of the beneficiaries of Korean Medical Insurance
Corporation, 1981-1986. There was a marked increase in age-adjusted cancer admission
(lCD 140-208), which was higher in male. Proportion indices of cancer admission (leo
140-208) to total admission was also increasing by year, suggesting a substantial increase in
cancer morbidity in Korea. In male, stomach, lung, liver and colorectum were the most common
sites of cancer, while in female, stomach, uterine cervix, breast and colorectum were the
top four sites. The order of frequency was almost constant during the period. Epidemiological
characteristics of some selected cancer sites were briefly discussed