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Declining cancer mortality in the United States
1Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.
Cancer
|November 15, 1996
Summary
Cancer mortality in the US declined starting in 1991 due to prevention efforts and improved medical care. This positive trend, particularly for lung cancer, is expected to continue.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Cancer mortality rates in the U.S. had historically increased.
- A significant reversal of this trend began in 1991, marking a decline in cancer deaths.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze trends in overall cancer mortality and lung carcinoma mortality.
- To evaluate the impact of declining cancer case fatality on mortality rates.
Main Methods:
- Utilized vital statistics from the United States for annual age-adjusted mortality rates.
- Employed data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program.
Main Results:
- Overall age-adjusted cancer mortality decreased by 3.1% between 1990 and 1995.
- Lung carcinoma mortality saw a substantial reduction of 3.9%, with other smoking-related cancers declining by approximately 2%.
- Five-year cancer case fatality decreased by about 0.5% annually from 1950-1954 to 1986-1991.
Conclusions:
- Cancer prevention initiatives, particularly anti-smoking campaigns, and enhanced medical care have contributed to reduced cancer mortality.
- The observed decline in cancer mortality is projected to persist in the near future.