Cancer rates and cancer-related deaths drop in U.S.

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- For the first time ever, the overall cancer incidence and death rates have declined for men and women in the United States, according to an annual report released by the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, and other groups.

""The drop in incidence seen in this year's Annual Report is something we've been waiting to see for a long time,"" Dr. Otis W. Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, said in a statement. ""The continuing drop in mortality is evidence once again of real progress made against cancer, reflecting gains in prevention, early detection, and treatment.""

Still, not all the news is good. The report also indicates that there are wide variations at the state and regional levels in lung cancer trends among women. Of particular concern, lung cancer incidence, death rates, or both among women increased in 18 states, but fell only in 1, California.

The ""Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2005, Featuring Trends in Lung Cancer, Tobacco Use, and Tobacco Control"" was issued online by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and will be published in a December 3, 2008 print edition.

Overall cancer incidence fell by 0.8 percent per year from 1999 through 2005, lead author Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, from the American Cancer Society, Atlanta, and colleagues report. For men and women, reductions of 1.8 percent and 0.6 percent per year, respectively, were observed.

The reduction in the overall cancer rate was largely credited to a drop in the three most common malignancies in men -- lung, colorectal, and prostate -- and the two most common malignancies in women -- breast and colorectal -- combined with stabilization of lung cancer rates in women.

Aside from American Indian/Alaska Native men and women, death rates for all cancers combined fell for all racial groups in both genders, the report indicates.

In men, incidence fell for cancers of the lung, colon/rectum, oral cavity, and stomach, but climbed for cancers of the liver, kidney, and esophagus and for melanoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and myeloma. Prostate cancer rates rose initially, but then dropped from 2001 to 2005.

In women, rates for cancers of the breast, colon/rectum, uterus, ovary, cervix, and oral cavity decreased, while rates for cancers of the thyroid, pancreas, brain/nervous system, bladder, and kidney as well as for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia, and melanoma rose.

Sixteen of the states that had an increase in lung cancer rates or related deaths among women were in the South or Midwest, regions were smoking rates are generally higher than in the rest of the country.

""It's very promising to see the progress we are making in our fight against cancer,"" Dr. Julie Gerberding, directly of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a statement. ""Unfortunately, tobacco use continues to plague our country, and it's the primary reason why lung cancer continues to rob too many people of a long, productive and healthy life.""

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