The rate of death in the United States from all cancers combined is continuing the decline that began in the early 1990s, according to the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, published early online Wednesday in the American Cancer Society journal, Cancer. Death rates decreased on average 1.6% per year between 2004 and 2008. The report's special feature section focuses on important risk factors for several types of cancer—excess weight and lack of physical activity.
The rate of new cancer cases among men decreased by an average 0.6% per year between 1994 and 2008. For women, the rate of new cancer cases decreased 0.5% per year from 1998 through 2006, and stayed the same from 2006 through 2008. For children, trends from 1992 continued; the rate of new cancer cases increased 0.6% per year from 2004 through 2008. Death rates, however, decreased 1.3% percent per year for children during the same period.
For the second year in a row, death rates from lung cancer have dropped among women. Lung cancer death rates in men also dropped, as they have since the early 1990s. The report attributes the decline to states with comprehensive anti-tobacco programs. Women's death rates from lung cancer started dropping many years later than men's because they started smoking in large numbers much later.
Colon cancer death rates and the rate of new cases continue to decline, which the report attributes to improvements in the use of colon cancer screening. The rate of breast cancer cases declined from 1999 through 2004 and stayed the same from 2004 through 2008.
The rate of new cases of some cancers, including pancreas, kidney, thyroid, liver, and a type of esophageal cancer, increased from 1999 through 2008. Among the risk factors for these kinds of cancer are excess weight and lack of physical activity.
Read more from the American Cancer Society.
