U.S. Cancer Death Rates Still Dropping

Progress persists in reducing cancer-related fatalities, according to the latest annual report on the status of cancer in the U.S. Reductions in lung, colorectal, prostate and female breast cancer-related deaths were among the decreases seen in the most common disease types between 2010 and 2014, in the new report released Friday.

In all major racial and ethnic groups, overall cancer death rates continued to drop in men, women and children, found the collaborative effort from the American Cancer Society; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute – both part of the Department of Health and Human Services; and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries.

Looking at cancer survival rates in a more in-depth way this year, the report showed a significant improvement for early and late-stage disease, although this varied by race/ethnicity and state of residence, according to an NIH news release.

The news wasn’t all good. Liver cancer deaths trended upward once again in men and women. Men also experienced higher death rates from cancer of the pancreas and brain. Women had a rise in death rates from cancer of the uterus.

The five-year survival rate was only 8.5 percent for pancreatic cancer, 18.1 percent for liver cancer, a slightly higher 18.7 percent for lung cancer, 20.5 percent for cancer of the esophagus, 31percent for stomach cancer and 35 percent for cancer of the brain.

The highest five-year survival rates resulted for prostate cancer at 99.3 percent; 98.3 percent for thyroid cancer; 93.2 percent for melanoma, or skin cancer; and 90.8 percent for female breast cancer.

Two cancer risk factors – tobacco use and obesity – undermine inroads made against the disease,
researchers say. “The report found that tobacco-related cancers have low survival rates, which underscores the importance of continuing to do what we know works to significantly reduce tobacco use,’” Dr. Lisa Richardson, director of the CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, said in the release. “With obesity as a risk factor for cancer, we need to continue to support communities and families in approaches that can help reverse the nation’s obesity epidemic.”