Cancer death rates decreased on the average of 2.1 percent per year from 2002 through 2004 according to a new report from the Nation’s leading cancer organizations.  This is nearly twice the annual decrease of 1.1 percent per year from 1993 through 2002.  These findings are listed in the “Annual Report to the National on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2004, Featuring Cancer in Americans Indians and Alaska Natives” published online October 15, 2007, and also appearing in the November 15, 2007, issue of Cancer.

This significant decline in cancer death rates demonstrates progress in our fight against cancer which includes:

•    Effective tobacco control
•    Effective screening techniques
•    Early detection
•    Appropriate treatment
•    Healthier eating

Experts agree that the evidence is unmistakable and our nation is truly turning the tide in the battle against cancer.  Another important aspect to even further gains in the U.S. is if everyone had access to essential healthcare, including primary care and prevention services.

Incidence rates for female breast cancer dropped substantially from 2001 through 2004.  Experts feel this drop is possibly related to declining use of hormone replacement therapy as well as the recently reported decline in use of screening mammography.

In the Special Feature section of the report, authors found AI/AN women in all regions of the U.S. were less likely than NHW women to be diagnosed with localized breast cancer.  Reasons may be that AI/AN populations were more likely to live in poverty and less likely to have a high school education and health coverage when compared to NHW persons.  These statistics are indicators of less access to cancer prevention and control services.  

Authors also found current smoking rates were high among AI/AN overall, with the highest prevalence among AI/AN in Alaska and in the Northern Plains.  In all the regions, there were more AI/AN than NHW persons reported being obese, and screening rates for breast, colorectal, prostate and cervical cancers were lower among AI/AN than NHW persons.

Cancer researchers and specialists now have an infrastructure in this country for obtaining high-quality information about new cases of cancer.  They can describe the successes in cancer interventions and treatment as well as uncover the groups of people with varying risks and outcomes.  We would be ill-equipped to address the challenges we face in further reducing the cancer burden without this surveillance according to Holly L. Howe, Ph.D., executive director of North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR).

The study was conducted by scientists at the CDC, ACS, NCI, all part of the National Institutes of Health, and NAACCR.  They collaborated with scientists from the Indian Health Service and Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.