June 10, 2004
Dr. Greg Vercellotti discussed the recent drop in cancer
rates on the June 10 KARE-11 Today Show.
Whats behind the recent drop in cancer rates? How much
did they drop?
Overall, scientists attribute the decrease in overall cancer
rates and cancer death rates because of earlier and better detection. The
thinking is by detecting cancer early, treatments like surgery, chemotherapy,
and radiation have a better chance of succeeding.
At the same time, however, the total number of cancer cases
is increasing. In fact, cancer has become the No. 1 cause of death in Minnesota. Scientists know that cancer is a disease of aging, and as people live longer,
their lifetime risk of developing cancer increases. The change in ranking is
partly the result of fewer people dying from heart disease earlier in life.
A study published online last week in the journal Cancer
found that deaths from all cancers have dropped 1.1 percent per year since 1993
in the United States, and the five-year survival rate for people diagnosed with
most forms of cancer is improving.
Since 1998, the American Cancer Society and government
agencies--including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the
National Cancer Institute, and the North American Association of Central Cancer
Registries--have published an annual report that tracks trends in cancer
diagnoses, cancer deaths, and length of survival.
The biggest findings in the latest report were the drop in
women getting and dying from lung cancer. From 1998 to 2001, theres been an
annual drop of 2.3 percent in the incidence of women getting lung cancer, and just
a slight increase--0.2 percent per year--of women dying of lung cancer.
Researchers think these trends are tied to changes in
smoking patterns. Historically, women took up smoking later than men and they
also reduced their smoking or quit later than their male counterparts. Since
the early 1980s, the United States has seen a decrease in the rate of men
getting lung cancer and dying from it, but we werent seeing similar decreases
for women.
The study also confirmed that the prognosis for childhood
cancers has improved. It was almost always fatal before the mid 1960s, but
survival rates have increased to more than 75 percent because of the addition
of chemotherapy.
There are areas for improvement. Previously published
studies indicate that by changing behaviors, like quitting smoking, eating a
healthy diet and controlling obesity and improving screenings, we could cut the
number of cancer deaths by 29 percent. In Minnesota, that could translate to
2,600 cancer deaths per year being prevented.
Were still seeing significant disparities between diagnoses
and death rates for minorities compared with whites, too. With the exception of
Asian patients, minority patients diagnosed with lung cancer have between a 4
percent and 23 percent greater risk of dying from the disease than white
patients. Minority women still have a greater risk of dying from breast cancer
and both minority men and women have greater risks of dying from colorectal
cancer than white patients.
Key Points
- Eat a healthy diet. Decrease fat intake and increase
consumption of fruits and vegetables to five servings per day.
- Get plenty of exercise. Physicians recommend getting a minimum
of 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise five days each week.
- Follow cancer screening guidelines. Women should begin
screenings for cervical cancer when they become sexually active. Women
should have an annual mammogram starting at age 50. Men should get
prostate exams starting at age 50. Men and women should have a
colonoscopies at suggested intervals to screen for colorectal cancer. If
you have factors suggesting you are at increased risk for any of these
types of cancer, your doctor might recommend screening earlier.
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