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Cancer Deaths to Continue Decline in 2006
Annual report from American Cancer Society says
death rate has declined since 1991
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Women Cancer Trends 1930-2002
*Per 100,000, age-adjusted
to the 2000 US standard population.
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Men Cancer Trends
1930-2002
*Per 100,000, age-adjusted to the 2000 US
standard population.
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Cancer Projections 2006
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Feb. 9, 2006 - -The American Cancer Society's
annual estimate of cancer deaths says 2006 will see a slight decline in
the projected number of cancer deaths compared to estimates made for
2005. The projections are based on a decline in the actual number of
cancer deaths reported by the National Center for Health Statistics for
2002 (557,271 deaths) and 2003 (556,902 deaths), the first decline in
the actual number of cancer deaths in over 70 years.
From 2002 to 2003, the number of recorded cancer
deaths decreased by 778 in men, but increased by 409 in women, resulting
in a net decrease of 369 total cancer deaths, the first such decrease
since 1930, when nationwide data began to be compiled..
The decrease in the number of Americans dying from
cancer is a result of declining cancer death rates outpacing the impact
of growth and aging of the population. Death rates adjust for the size
and age of the population.
The death rate from all cancers combined has
decreased in the United States since 1991, but not until 2003 was the
decrease large enough to outpace the growth and aging of the population
and reduce the actual number of cancer deaths. While it is unclear
whether the decline in the total number of cancer deaths will continue,
it marks a notable milestone in the battle against cancer. The estimates
are included in the 55th edition of Cancer Facts & Figures, which
projects that in 2006, approximately 1.4 million Americans will be
diagnosed with cancer and 565,000 will die of the disease.
"The drop in the actual number of cancer deaths in
2003 and in our own projections for 2006 mark a remarkable turn in our
decades-long fight to eliminate cancer as a major health threat," said
John R. Seffrin, PhD, American Cancer Society chief executive officer.
"For years, we've proudly pointed to dropping cancer death rates even as
a growing and aging population meant more actual deaths. Now, for the
first time, the advances we've made in prevention, early detection, and
treatment are outpacing even the population factors that in some ways
obscured that success."
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Related Stories |
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Cancer Trends 2005
New Cancer Report Sees Declining Deaths,
Stable Incident Rates
Dec. 23, 2005 The nation is making progress
toward major cancer-related Healthy People 2010 targets, according to
the new Cancer Trends Progress Report 2005. The death rates continue to
decline for the four most common cancers - prostate, breast, lung, and
colorectal, as well as for all cancers combined. And, the rate of cancer
occurrences has been relatively stable since the mid 1990s.
Read more...
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Since 1952, when the first edition of the
publication consisted of four typewritten pages, Cancer Facts & Figures
has become a critical tool for scientists and journalists reporting on
cancer trends. The annual estimates of new cancer cases and deaths are
some of the most widely quoted cancer statistics in the world. The
Society's leading team of epidemiologic researchers compiles and
analyzes incidence and mortality data from around the country to
estimate the number of new cancer cases and deaths for the current year
nationwide and in individual states. Other highlights from this year's
publication:
--In 2006, an estimated 1,399,790 new cancer cases
and 564,830 deaths from cancer are expected in the United States.
--Incidence and death rates from lung cancer
continue to decrease in men. Among women the lung cancer incidence rate
has leveled off but death rates continue to increase. Lung cancer
remains the top cause of cancer death in the U.S, with an estimated
174,470 new cases and 162,460 deaths expected this year.
--Kentucky has the highest lung cancer death rate
in the U.S. Expected lung cancer deaths in Kentucky in 2006 (3,500)
rival that of Massachusetts (3,790), a state with more than 50 percent
more residents*.
--Breast cancer remains the most common cancer
other than skin cancer among women in the U.S., with an estimated
212,920 new cases and 40,970 deaths expected in 2006. Despite increasing
incidence, the death rate from breast cancer continues to fall.
--Prostate cancer is the most common cancer other
than skin cancer among men in the U.S., with an estimated 234,460 new
cases and 27,350 deaths expected in 2006. Although death rates have
decreased since the early 1990s, rates in African American men remain
more than twice as high as rates in white men.
Cancers that can be prevented or detected earlier
by following the Society's testing guidelines account for approximately
half of all new cancer cases in the United States. Scientific evidence
suggests that about half of the cancer deaths expected in the United
States will be related to tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical
inactivity, and being overweight or obese. The Great American Health
CheckSM is an easy, confidential, online health assessment tool
available year-round at www.cancer.org/healthcheck to raise national
awareness of early cancer detection tests and the benefits of following
a healthy lifestyle. The tool was developed by the American Cancer
Society and is made possible by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
("MetLife"), with additional support from official sponsors Quest
Diagnostics and Bayer Aspirinฎ.
Great American Health Check users can go on line
and answer questions about age, gender, height, weight, family history
of cancer, dietary habits, physical activity levels, alcohol and tobacco
use, either for themselves or a loved one, They then receive a
personalized cancer action plan that includes early cancer detection
tests they may need as well as recommendations for healthy lifestyle
changes. Cancer information specialists are available 24 hours a day,
seven days a week at the American Cancer Society's toll-free call
center, 1-800-ACS-2345, to mail information on the Great American Health
Check and specific cancer screenings.
Each year, Cancer Facts & Figures features a
Special Section highlighting a particular aspect of cancer prevention,
early detection or treatment. Tobacco, obesity, and infectious causes of
cancer have been discussed in recent years. In 2006, the Special Section
considers environmental pollutants (particularly air pollutants) and
cancer. While exposure to pollutants is thought to account for a
relatively small percentage of cancer deaths --about four percent from
occupational exposures and two percent from environmental pollutants
(man-made and naturally occurring)-- the topic is of considerable public
interest and an ongoing scientific challenge. Even a small percentage
(six percent) can represent many deaths, approximately 33,900 in the
U.S.
Much of what is known about air contaminants and
cancer comes from occupational studies of workers who were highly
exposed in the past and can be clearly identified and followed for long
periods of time. The Special Section provides information about two air
pollutants that pose potential risk to the general public: asbestos and
radon.
Asbestos causes lung cancer, mesothelioma, and
possibly other cancers, while radon causes lung cancer. Asbestos
products remain in most buildings constructed between 1930 and 1975, and
can present a danger during renovations or demolition. Radon, a gas that
is emitted naturally from the earth, has been shown to cause lung cancer
in miners exposed to very high concentrations and is present at lower
concentrations in the indoor air (generally basements) of most homes.
Radon has been estimated to cause between ten and
14 percent of lung cancer deaths in the U.S. The Special Section
describes recommendations made by public health agencies to minimize
exposures to asbestos and radon.
Secondhand tobacco smoke is an important indoor air
contaminant known to increase cancer risk. Cigarette smoke contains many
known and probable carcinogens. For example, it is a major source of
population exposure to benzene, a leukemia-causing substance also
present in gasoline fumes and automobile exhaust.
The article also describes the major sources and
types of outdoor air pollution. Sources include vehicles, factories,
fossil fuel-burning power plants, incinerators, recycling facilities,
and metal smelting plants, as well as natural sources, like windblown
dust and wildfires.
The report details the major categories of air
pollutants and how they are regulated. Exposure to fine particulates, a
type of air pollution often present in urban air, has been linked with
lung cancer, and there is even stronger evidence of increased heart and
lung disease associated with exposure. The report recognizes progress in
reducing air pollution and the importance that such progress be
sustained. The full report can be viewed after embargo at
www.cancer.org/statistics.
The American Cancer Society is dedicated to
eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives,
diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education,
advocacy and service. Founded in 1913 and with national headquarters in
Atlanta, the Society has 13 regional Divisions and local offices in
3,400 communities, involving millions of volunteers across the United
States. For more information anytime, call toll free 1-800-ACS-2345 or
visit www.cancer.org.
*U.S. Census Bureau estimated July 2005
populations: Kentucky 4,173,405; Massachusetts 6,398,743
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