Biostatistics & Study Design USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 72-year-old man with newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer presents with jaundice, weight loss of 8 kg over 2 months, and epigastric pain. Vital signs: BP 118/76, HR 92, RR 18, Temp 37.2°C, SpO2 98% on room air. CT abdomen shows a 3-cm hypodense mass in the pancreatic head with bile duct dilation. Bilirubin is elevated at 8.2 mg/dL; no recent chemotherapy initiated. During one year in a city of 600,000 residents, 120 deaths from pancreatic cancer occurred. Which calculation represents the cause-specific mortality rate?
Answer choices
- A2 per 1,000 population
- B5 per 1,000 pancreatic cancer cases
- C20 per 100,000 populationCorrect answer
- D20%
- E120 per 100,000 population
- F0.02 per 1,000 population
See the full explanation
Get the correct-answer rationale, why each distractor is wrong, the underlying mechanism, and high-yield associations — plus adaptive practice that targets your weak areas — with a free MedBoardPRO account.