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Assessing a decade of progress in cancer control
LeAnn D Andersen1, Patrick Remington, Amy Trentham-Dietz
1Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
The Oncologist
|June 18, 2002
Summary
Cancer death rates in the U.S. have declined since 1990. This progress is largely due to reduced deaths from lung, prostate, and colon cancers in men, and breast and colon cancers in women.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Cancer Research
Background:
- The age-adjusted cancer death rate in the U.S. reached its peak in 1990.
- Since 1990, there has been a steady decline in cancer mortality.
- Understanding the drivers of this decline is crucial for public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the trends in cancer mortality by age, gender, and specific causes.
- To quantify the contribution of different cancer types to the overall decline in cancer deaths.
- To assess progress in cancer control and prevention efforts.
Main Methods:
- Utilized underlying cause of death data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
- Employed statistical modeling based on mortality data from 1979-1997 to estimate 2000 mortality rates.
- Applied indirect standardization to calculate expected cancer deaths in 2000, assuming 1990 rates persisted.
Main Results:
- In 2000, an estimated 500,000 cancer deaths occurred, which was 64,000 (12.7%) fewer than expected.
- Men experienced 51,900 fewer cancer deaths, primarily from lung, colon, and prostate cancers.
- Women had 12,200 fewer cancer deaths, driven by reductions in breast and colon cancer, despite an increase in lung cancer deaths.
Conclusions:
- The observed decline in cancer mortality is substantial, with significant reductions across major cancer types in men and women.
- Lung, prostate, and colon cancer declines in men, and breast and colon cancer declines in women, account for 86% of the decade's mortality reduction.
- While overall progress is evident, specific demographic and cancer-type trends, such as increased lung cancer deaths in older women, warrant continued attention.