by Shawn Le and Alicia Di Rado
Fewer people died of cancer in 2004 than in 2003, marking the second straight year that cancer deaths have declined in the United States, according to a new American Cancer Society report. And City of Hope physicians and researchers are optimistic about the progress.
According to the report, Cancer Statistics 2007, 3,014 fewer people died of cancer in 2004 compared to the previous year. The 2004 data were the latest available.
“President Nixon declared war on cancer in the 1960s, and we are finally beginning to see some of the fruits of these efforts,” said Robert Figlin, M.D., the Arthur and Rosalie Kaplan Professor of Medical Oncology and chair of the Division of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research. “We’re making great strides in fighting cancer, and each research discovery and novel treatment brings us one step closer to finding cures.”
The drop in deaths marks the second straight year that deaths from cancer declined: officials reported 369 fewer cancer deaths in 2003 than 2002. American Cancer Society leaders credit improved education about cancer prevention, earlier detection and treatment advances.
Death rates linked to most major cancers, including breast, prostate and colorectal cancers, have declined steadily in recent years. And while lung cancer remains the top cancer killer for both genders, the lung cancer mortality rate among women has leveled off, and fewer men are being diagnosed with lung cancer and dying from it.
City of Hope physicians and researchers are contributing to the gains. Researchers are helping to better identify women’s risk of developing breast cancer based on genetics, while others are determining which therapies may be most effective in treating specific patients, for example. And still other physicians are evaluating computed tomography as a lung cancer screening method among those at high risk for the disease.
Statistics within certain ethnic groups show room for progress. According to the report, cancer still hits African-Americans particularly hard. And while Latinos, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders have slightly lower cancer rates overall than whites, they show a higher risk for cancers that may be linked to infections, such as liver and cervical cancers, the report indicates.
Scientists in the Division of Population Sciences at City of Hope explore cancer diagnosis, treatment, outcome and quality of life among those of different races, ethnicities and other characteristics. The division’s Center of Community Alliance for Research & Education was created in 2006 to address cancer education and control in diverse communities, and seeks interventions that can make a difference in improving cancer outcomes.