Recorded cancer deaths reported for the second straight year

A new report released today from the American Cancer Society shows that death rates from cancer have fallen lower for the second year in a row. Statistics released today show a 2.4% reduction in death rates from the disease from 2017 to 2018, the most recent year where full records are available.

Overall cancer death rates in the U.S. have been steadily declining since 1991, representing a 31% decline up to 2018. The fall appears to be due to a number of different factors including included reductions in smoking, earlier detection, and improvements in treatment, with the four most common. types of cancer; breast, lung, colorectal and prostate have all suffered significant reductions in mortality in recent years.

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death, accounting for more deaths than breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers combined, but advances in treatments for lung cancer have been a major cause in reducing cancer mortality to overall, with an annual 5% mortality reduction in 2014-2018.

“Lung cancer mortality is showing a steady decline and both men and women who are diagnosed with lung cancer are living longer and that is great news,” said Deborah Schrag, MD, CEO Population Sciences at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, noting that lung cancer remains the leading cause of death from cancer. “There is more work to be done that includes ensuring that all patients have the opportunity to undergo appropriate diagnostic assessment to determine whether they will benefit from targeted treatments or immunotherapy,” Schrag said.

Although not everyone who develops lung cancer has smoked, it is thought that the majority of cases are caused by smoking, with efforts still needed to reduce tobacco use.

“To keep improving, we can’t control tobacco. Rates of lung cancer in states like Kentucky where tobacco use is more common are more than 3 times higher for men and 4 times higher for women than rates in states like Utah where tobacco use is not. so common, ”Schrag said.

However, despite the good news from some of the most common types of cancer, progress is slow in reducing mortality rates in some types of cancer.

“While it is not the most common cancer, the pancreas is the # 4 most common cause of death. This year it featured the lives of Alex Trebek, John Lewis and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. For pancreatic cancer, movements are smooth and we do not have effective screening or treatment, ”said Schrag.

The report also outlines differences in cancer survival between Black Americans and white Americans.

“For uterine, cervical, and head and neck cancers, average 5-year survival rates are more than 10% lower for black Americans than for white Americans and for breast cancer, the gap is 9% (82% respectively). against 91%), ”Schrag said.

The new report also estimates that, in the U.S. by 2021, nearly 1.9 million (1,898,160) new cancer cases will be diagnosed and 608,570 Americans will die from cancer.

However, the projections are based on the latest total data from 2017 to 2018, they do not take into account the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on cancer, with many experts predicting adverse effects on cancer outcomes.

“The impact of Covid-19 on population-level cancer diagnosis and outcomes will not be known for several years due to the time required for data collection, collection, quality control, and dissemination, ”Said Rebecca Siegel, MPH, lead author of the report. “We anticipate that breaches in access to cancer care in 2020 will lead to an increase in the flow of advanced stage diagnoses that could impede progress in reducing cancer mortality rates in the coming years, ”Said Siegel.

However, some experts are more optimistic about the long-term effects of Covid-19 pandemic.

“We hope that the long-term impact will be minimal, and when we look at the data 5 years from now, there will be little impact on pandemic. We may still play up next year, depending on vaccine circulation, how quickly peatland systems can build to full capacity and in real terms the reliability of people coming in for screening. We can get over this and get back on track with cancer prevention and screening. We continue to encourage patients to return to routine treatment and screening as soon as it is safe to do so, ”said Schrag.