Cancer Deaths Continue Falling In U.S., Report Finds

Topline

Cancer deaths are declining in the U.S., according to a report published in the journal Cancer on Wednesday, continuing decades of progress fighting back against one of America’s biggest killers with improved testing, treatment breakthroughs and lifestyle changes.

Cancer death rates continue to fall in the U.S., according to a new report.

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Key Facts

Between 2015 and 2019, the overall death rate from cancer in the U.S. fell by 2.1% per year, according to the latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, a joint effort from the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Cancer Society and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries.

The report found that overall cancer mortality rates declined among adolescents, young adults and in every major racial and ethnic group, with death rates falling more sharply among men than women, decreasing 2.3% and 1.9% per year respectively.

The steepest decreases in death rates were for lung cancer and melanoma (a form of skin cancer), the report found, both of which fell by 4% to 5% per year.

Mortality rates for some cancers increased, however, including cancers of the pancreas and uterus for women and cancers of the brain, pancreas and bones and joints for men.

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra described the report’s findings as “good news in our fight against cancer.”

The report signposts impressive progress, Becerra said, adding that he is confident the country can meet President Joe Biden’s goal of reducing the death rate from cancer by at least 50% over the next 25 years.

Tangent

The report highlighted racial and ethnic disparities in both the incidence and death rates of cancer, measured between 2014 and 2018 and 2015 and 2019 respectively. Incidence rates of uterine cancer increased among women in every racial and ethnic group apart from white women, where rates were stable, for example, and death rates from prostate cancer were stable among white and Black men but decreased among Hispanic men, Asian/Pacific Islander men and American Indian or Alaska Native men. Dr. Lisa Richardson, director of CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, said: “Factors such as race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status should not play a role in people’s ability to be healthy or determine how long they live.” The CDC is working with partners inside and outside of government “to address these disparities,” Richardson added. “We know that we can meet this challenge together and create an America where people are free of cancer.”

Crucial Quote

The report’s findings reflect the “improvements in preventing, detecting, and treating cancer,” made in recent years, said Dr. Monica M. Bertagnolli, director of the National Cancer Institute. “The advances shown in the report underscore the importance of working together across society to develop effective, equitable approaches to tackle this complex disease.” Karen Knudsen, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society, noted that the report does highlight persistent trends for some types of cancer, however, illustrating the fact that “durable cures remain elusive for many people.”

Key Background

Cancer is consistently one of the biggest causes of death and disease, both in the U.S. and worldwide. Cancer, alongside heart disease, is the only illness to have killed more Americans than Covid-19 over the past few years, though the term is a sweeping catchall for a multitude of distinct diseases rather than a singular illness like Covid. Given its many forms, cancer can be a complex disease to address as each may require a different approach to identify, treat and prevent, with genetics, lifestyle and environment—such as diet, smoking or exposure to cancer causing chemicals—all playing a role.

Big Number

599,589. That’s how many people died of cancer in 2019, according to the CDC. Around 1.75 million new cancer cases were reported that year. For every 100,000 people in 2019, approximately 439 would be diagnosed with cancer and 146 would die from it.

What To Watch For

The data used in the report does not cover the years of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic disrupted cancer screening services and treatment for many cancer patients and is likely to have altered the trajectory for the detection, and possibly survival of, some types of cancer. The pandemic also reinvigorated interest in a technology—the mRNA platform used to build Moderna’s and Pfizer’s vaccines—many researchers believe has promise in the fight against cancer.