Cancer: Annual Report to the Nation
There was more good news last week about Americans' incidence and rates of death due to cancer. The rates of new cases and the rates of death from all cancers combined are dropping and dropping steadily. For example, cancer deaths for all forms of cancer collectively dropped 1.6% per year for each of the last six years for which data is available (2001 - 2006). The progress being made against colorectal cancer was highlighted in the report.
While men continue to have higher rates than women their decline in rates was also higher. Decreases in deaths and incidence for lung, prostate and colorectal cancer drove the decline for men.
Among women, breast and colorectal rates declines lead the overall improvement.
The news was not uniformly good. In men, rates increased for myeloma, kidney, liver and esophageal cancer as well as multiple myeloma and leukemia. In women the expected increase in lung cancer rates was found along with increases for thyroid, pancreatic, bladder, melanoma and kidney cancers as well as for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and leukemia.
The NIH press release can be found here.
