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Cancer Incidence and Deaths
Decline
Cancer incidence and death rates for all cancers combined and for
most of the top 10 cancer sites declined between 1990 and 1995, reversing an
almost 20-year trend of increasing cancer cases and deaths in the United
States, according to the latest cancer report for the American Cancer Society
(ACS), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC).
“Cancer Incidence and Mortality, 1973-1995: A Report Card for
the United States” was published in 1998 in the journal CANCER. The report
shows that after increasing 1.2 percent a year from 1973 to 1990, the incidence
(rate of new cancer cases) for all cancers declined an average of 0.7 percent
from 1990 to 1995, with the greatest decrease occurring after 1992. Rates
declined for most age groups, for both men and women, and for most racial and
ethnic groups with the exception of black males, for whom the incidence rate
increased, and Asian and Pacific Islander females, whose rates remained level.
Overall death rate declined 0.5 percent per year during 1990-95.
The decline in mortality was greater for men than for women. Almost all racial
and ethnic groups are included in this downturn, except for Asian and Pacific
Islander females.
The incidence of breast cancer remained level from 1990 to 1995,
while mortality dropped, but only for white and Hispanic women. The NCI
speculates that incorporation of widespread breast cancer screening into
routine medical care as well as advances in treatment may account for the
decline in mortality.
The incidence and mortality from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
continued to rise during 1990-95, although at a slower rate than during the
period 1973-1990.
Deaths from leukemia and ovarian cancer continued to decline
during 1990-1995 although at a slower rate that the previous 17 years.
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