Cancer Deaths Dropping

Posted: March 1, 2005

New figures released by the American Cancer Society show that the U.S. is making significant progress against several of the deadliest and most common cancers in the country.

Death rates from colon, breast, and prostate cancers have dropped, according to Cancer Facts & Figures 2005, an annual estimate of cancer cases and deaths in the United States.

The death rate from lung cancer has also dropped among men and remained steady among women — something considered good news since lung cancer deaths among women were on the rise for many decades.

Nearly 1.4 million people are expected to develop cancer this year, according to the report. And about 570,000 Americans — nearly 1,600 a day — are expected to die from it.

Although cancer runs second to heart disease in overall deaths, it is has been the top killer of people under age 85 since 1999. The four most common cancers — lung, colon, breast, and prostate — account for more than half of all cancer cases and half of all cancer deaths.

The estimates are based on statistics from the National Cancer Institute and the National Center for Health Statistics.

Lung cancer
Lung cancer remains the deadliest form of cancer in the U.S., although it is not the most common. Incidence rates (the percentage of people getting the disease) have dropped among both men and women in recent years. The reason: fewer Americans are smoking.

Colorectal cancer
Progress has also been made against colorectal cancer, the third most common cancer among both men and women. Higher screening rates have helped reduce the incidence rate each year between 1998 and 2001. Screening can find and lead to removal of colon polyps before they become cancerous.

Breast cancer & prostate cancer
Breast cancer and prostate cancer remain the most common cancers among women and men, respectively, accounting for about one-third of all cases. Incidence rates of both these cancers are increasing, but slowly.

Nearly 41,000 women and about 460 men are expected to die from breast cancer in 2005.

About 232,000 new cases of prostate cancer are expected in 2005. African American men are more likely than Caucasians to develop the disease, and twice as likely to die from it.

Focus on infections and cancer
The report says about one-third of all cancers are caused by smoking and another third are caused by poor nutrition, obesity, and physical inactivity. For the first time, the report also includes a special section on infections that can cause cancer.

Worldwide, about 17 percent of cancers are caused by infections; in developed countries like the U.S., only about 7 percent are.

Worldwide, most cases of liver cancer, for instance, are caused by infection with the hepatitis B or C virus.

Cervical cancer is also caused by a virus, the human papilloma virus (HPV). Screening with a Pap test can find changes in the cervix before they turn into cancer, or detect cancer when it is still at a very early stage.

The fourth most common cancer in the world is stomach cancer. Many stomach cancers are related to an infection with a bacterium called helicobacter pylori. This infection probably comes from food and water. The rate of stomach cancer in the U.S. has been dropping for many years, most likely because of improved sanitary conditions.

Number of U.S. cancer survivors is over 9 million
There are 9.8 million cancer survivors in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

A cancer survivor is defined as anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer, from the time of diagnosis through the balance of his or her life.

The number of survivors is expected to increase as improvements are made in cancer detection, treatment and care.

The data show that:

• 64 percent of adults whose cancer is diagnosed today can expect to be living in five years
• Breast cancer survivors make up the largest group of cancer survivors (22 percent) followed by prostate cancer survivors (17 percent) and colorectal cancer survivors (11 percent)
• The majority (61 percent) of cancer survivors are aged 65 and older
• An estimated one of every six people over age 65 is a cancer survivor
• 79 percent of childhood cancer survivors will be living five years after diagnosis and nearly 75 percent will be living 10 years following diagnosis

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