Status of Cancer in our Nation 10/15/2007

From the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer – released yesterday, October 15, 2007:

"Today, the American Cancer Society joins the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries in issuing the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer.

Again this year, the report indicates that we are indeed making significant headway against cancer. It also underscores the critical importance of cancer control efforts and improved access to health care in a special section examining cancer incidence among American Indians and Alaska Natives in six regions of the United States.

The highlights of the report include several positive trends in cancer incidence and mortality:

From 2002-2004, cancer deaths in men and women decreased by 2.1% per year – nearly twice the annual rate of decline that occurred from 1993-2002.
Death rates decreased for 12 of the 15 most common cancers in men and for 10 of the 15 most common cancers in women.
Important declines were noted for the three leading causes of cancer death among men: lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers. Among women, death rates from colorectal and breast cancers decreased, while the increase in lung cancer mortality slowed substantially.
Overall cancer incidence rates for both sexes and all races combined declined slightly from 1992-2004.
Authors of the report attribute these impressive gains to successful tobacco control efforts, earlier detection through screening, and more effective treatment."