US Cancer Rate Decline For The First Time

Seattle – New research has shown that the diagnosis of new cancer cases and deaths caused by cancer have begun to decline for the first time since 1971. Reported cases have lowered across the board for American men and women.

The research indicates that cancer death rates have been decreasing about 1.8% per year between the years 2002 and 2005. Also included in the research is a significantly lower figure of new cancer cases reported. Cases of new cancer have fallen about 0.8% per year between the years 1999 and 2005.

The research report was released on December 3rd in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Annually the American Cancer Society, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US National Cancer Institute and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries releases a report on cancer diagnoses in the United States. The first time a report was issued was 1998 and it has not been since that date that they have completed such a in depth study.

The decrease of new cancer cases and cancer caused deaths is evidence that there have been significant improvements of detection and the treatment of cancer cases. There has also been an added effort to use preventative measures to prevent cancer because more is known about the causes and warning signs of the disease.

The report also concluded that the end numbers would have been better if every American had adequate health insurance to get regular check-ups and treatment for cancer.

The overall decline of new cases of cancer and cancer related deaths were seen most significantly in some of the most commonly reported and detected cancers: Prostate in men, breast cancer in woman, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer.

“It is a significant milestone,” said Otis W. Brawley, chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society, which produces the report with the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries.

Researchers also equated the drop of new cancer and death from cancer to the choice of many Americans to quit smoking. Although smoking is still the most preventable cause of cancer, there are still 44 million Americans who have not kicked the habit yet. It is known that over 33% of all cancer is caused by smoking.

One other problem area is the rise of obesity in Americans which could lead, down the road, to cancer if it is not curbed. There are also preventative measures taken with annual check-ups and the recent shift from fast food to healthier food.

Researchers are somewhat concerned that the economic downturn could lead to an increase in cancer because people will be less likely to spend money on screenings to catch the disease in its earliest stages. The economic downturn could also be to blame for cancelled health insurance because many Americans simply cannot afford to keep the insurance. Further, cancer treatments are expensive and it will be harder for families to pay for that treatment if cancer is caught early.

“This report gives us a better understanding of where we may need to redouble our efforts and try to find new ways of preventing … kidney, liver and other cancers that continue to show increases in both mortality and incidence,” said Dr. John Niederhuber, director of the National Cancer Institute.

“The take-home message is that many of the things we’ve been telling people to do to be healthy have finally reached the point where we can say that they are working,” Brawley said. “These things are really starting to pay off.”

The report can be found in the December 3rd issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute