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Press Release
Annual Report to the Nation Finds Cancer Death Rates Continue to Drop; Lower Cancer Rates Observed in U.S. Latino PopulationsA new report from the nation鈥檚 leading cancer organizations finds that Americans鈥?risk of dying from cancer continues to drop, maintaining a trend that began in the early 1990s. However, the rate of new cancers remains stable. The 鈥淎nnual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2003, Featuring Cancer among U.S. Hispanic/Latino Populations鈥?is published in the October 15, 2006, issue of Cancer*. The report includes comprehensive data on trends over the past several decades for all major cancers. It shows that the long-term decline in overall cancer death rates continued through 2003 for all races and both sexes combined. The declines were greater among men (1.6 percent per year from 1993 through 2003) than women (0.8 percent per year from 1992 through 2003). Death rates decreased for 11 of the 15 most common cancers in men and for 10 of the 15 most common cancers in women. The authors attribute the decrease in death rates, in part, to successful efforts to reduce exposure to tobacco, earlier detection through screening, and more effective treatment, saying that continued success will depend on maintaining and enhancing these efforts. 鈥淭he greater decline in cancer death rates among men is due in large part to their substantial decrease in tobacco use. We need to enhance efforts to reduce tobacco use in women so that the rate of decline in cancer death rates becomes comparable to that of men,鈥?said Betsy A. Kohler, President of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc (NAACCR). Overall cancer incidence rates (the rate at which new cancers are diagnosed) for both sexes and all races combined have been stable from 1992 through 2003. Overall rates for men were stable from 1995 through 2003, while rates for women increased from 1979 through 2003. Notably, incidence rates for female breast cancer stabilized from 2001 through 2003, ending increases that began in the 1980s. Whether this first indication of a changing trend is real or a random fluctuation cannot be determined until data reporting in the next few years is complete. Also, the data suggest a small increase in the female lung cancer incidence rate from 1991 through 2003, which is a much slower rate of increase than in prior years. Among women, incidence rates decreased for:
Among men, incidence rates have:
Incidence rates for pancreatic cancer for men and women stabilized from 2000 through 2003, after decreasing for about 16 years. Among women, the rates for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), melanoma, leukemia and cancers of the lung, bladder, and kidney have been increasing since at least 1975. Thyroid cancer incidence rates among women have increased since 1981. The rate increased 2.2 percent per year from 1981-1993. The rate then increased 4.6 percent per year from 1993 to 2000. From 2000 to 2003, the rate increased 9.1 percent per year. These rising trends are likely explained in part by changes in medical surveillance, but may also be a result of changes in risk factors. 鈥淭he findings of the Annual Report this year highlight the importance of our nation鈥檚 investment in carefully tracking cancer incidence trends,鈥?said John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society. 鈥淲hen there are changes in trends like those reported for breast cancer and thyroid cancer this year, researchers are alerted to look for the causes, often leading to advances in cancer prevention and early detection.鈥?/p> Cancer Rates for U.S. Latino/Hispanic PopulationsThe report includes a special section on cancer among U.S. Latino/Hispanic populations. It is the most comprehensive coverage of cancer information for this large and rapidly growing ethnic group and is based on 90 percent of the U.S. Latino population. The report finds that for 1999 to 2003, Latinos had lower incidence rates than non-Hispanic whites (NHW) for most cancers, but were less likely than the NHW population to be diagnosed with localized stage disease for cancers of the lung, colon and rectum, prostate, female breast, and cervix. However, Latino children have higher incidence rates of leukemia, retinoblastoma, osteosarcoma, and germ cell tumors than do non-Latino white children. Several cancer sites with higher incidence rates in Latinos often have infectious origins: human papilloma virus (HPV) in cervical cancer; Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in stomach cancer; and Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) in liver cancer. Relative to the NHW population, the proportion of cases for specific cancers, in relation to all cancer sites combined, varied among four Latino groups (Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and South/ or Central American). The report points to several important considerations in developing health interventions for Latinos, including: higher incidence of some infection-related cancers; elevated exposures to environmental risk factors in Latinos鈥?living and work places; lower education, health literacy, and income; limited English proficiency; reduced use of screening services; limited access to health care, often due to lack of insurance; and less information available regarding possible genetic predisposition to cancer. 鈥淚nformation in this report about lower Latino cancer rates is very encouraging but also points to the urgent need to educate people about the ways to reduce their cancer risk and keep rates such as these as low as possible,鈥?said NCI Director John Niederhuber, M.D. First issued in 1998, the 鈥淎nnual Report to the Nation鈥?is a collaboration among the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which is part of the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society (ACS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It provides updated information on cancer rates and trends in the United States. "We are continuing to make progress in our fight against cancer,鈥?said CDC Director Julie Gerberding, M.D. 鈥淗owever, we can鈥檛 become complacent. We must continue to fight to ensure that resources are available to address the importance of prevention, screening, and early detection, and promoting healthy behaviors which are proven strategies to reduce the burden of cancer.鈥?/p> Earlier detection of disease through screening, improved prognosis through more effective treatment, reduction of exposure to risk factors, and reduction in inequalities in cancer care through more widespread access to effective diagnostic and treatment regimens by the general population all point to the success of the nation鈥檚 dedication and focus on reducing the burden of cancer in the United States, note the authors of the report. The authors conclude that continued success will depend on maintaining and enhancing these efforts. ### *Howe HL, Wu X, Ries LA, Cokkinides V, Ahmed F, Jemal A, Miller B, Williams M, Ward E, Wingo PA, Ramirez A, Edwards BK. Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2003, Featuring Cancer among U.S. Hispanic/Latino Populations. Cancer. October 15, 2006. Vol. 107, Issue 7. For more information on this report, visit the following Web sites:
ACS: http://www.cancer.org |
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Contact Us This page last updated November 9, 2006 United
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