 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Spotlight on ScienceFeatured Scientific Articles
On this page
Cancer Survivorship United States, 19772001Earlier diagnosis through screening, more effective treatment, preventing secondary disease and recurrence, as well as, decreases in mortality from other causes have led to an increasing number of people surviving for longer periods following a diagnosis of cancer. Incidence data and follow-up data from SEER-9 registries was used to estimate the prevalence of cancer survivors in the United States. According to this report
This report shows that efforts are needed to address cancer survivorship and to transform survivorship research into practice. Cancer survivors need a representative registry of survivors to research the late and long-term effects of cancer; programs that enable survivors to access and navigate complex health care systems; clinical guidelines for follow-up care; and public education programs on survivorship issues. This report also recognizes recent publications to advance survivorship including A National Action Plan for Cancer Survivorship and the President's Cancer Panel Report on Cancer Survivorship. Rowland J, Mariotto A, Aziz N, Tesauro G, Feuer EJ, Blackman D, Thompson P, Pollack LA. Cancer Survivorship United States, 19712001. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) 2004;53(24):526529.
*The 1971 number is not comparable unless we use the percentage of the population because the U.S. population has increased during the past 30 years.
Cancer Mortality Surveillance United States, 19902000Following heart disease, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. This surveillance summary presents rates and trends in cancer mortality data for all cancer sites combined and for the four most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States (lung and bronchus, colorectal, prostate, and female breast) by state, sex, and race/ethnicity. The 10 primary cancer sites with the highest age-adjusted death rates, by sex, are also presented for each state and the District of Columbia. Study findings indicate that for 19902000, cancer death rates decreased among the majority of racial/ethnic populations and geographic locations in the United States. For all races combined, significant decreases in colorectal cancer death rates occurred among men in 32 states, and among women in 30 states. Prostate cancer death rates decreased significantly among men in 43 states, and breast cancer death rates decreased significantly among women in 46 states. From 19902000, lung and bronchus cancer death rates among men decreased in 42 states, whereas a significant increase among women occurred in 21 states. U.S. death rates for all cancers combined decreased from 19902000 among all racial/ethnic populations, except American Indians/Alaska Natives; cancer death rates remained stable in this group. Stewart SL, King JB, Thompson TD, Friedman C, Wingo PA. Cancer Mortality Surveillance United States, 19902000. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) 2004;53(SS-3). Annual Cancer Report to the Nation ReleasedAccording to the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 19752001, Americans risks of getting cancer and dying from this disease continue to decline, and survival rates from many cancers continue to improve. Overall, observed cancer incidence rates dropped 0.5 percent per year from 1991 to 2001, while death rates from all cancers combined dropped 1.1 percent per year from 19932001. The authors of the report note that for the first time, lung cancer incidence rates among women are on the decline. Death rates decreased for 11 of the top 15 cancers in men, and 8 of the top 15 cancers in women. These data reflect progress in prevention, early detection, and treatment; however, not all segments of the U.S. population have benefited equally from the advances. The report also highlights improvements in survival from cancer. The number of people who have survived more than 5 years after being diagnosed with cancer has increased over the past two decades in conjunction with a decrease in death rates. Although limited survival improvement was noted for the most fatal forms of cancer in adults, childhood cancers showed some of the largest improvements in cancer survival during the past 20 years. The report also identifies wide variations in survival associated with race and ethnicity.
The report is a collaboration of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the American Cancer Society (ACS), and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR). Jemal A, Clegg LX, Ward E, Ries LAG, Wu X, Jamison PM, Wingo PA, Howe HL, Anderson RN,
Edwards BK. Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 19752001,
with a Special Feature Regarding Survival.
Cancer 2004. Published Online: June 3, 2004 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.20288
Colorectal Cancer Screening Practices in Rural and Nonrural Areas of the United StatesPrevious studies have suggested that men and women living in rural areas of the United States are less likely than those living in urban areas to undergo routine cancer screening. However, most of these studies looked at breast and cervical cancer screening, with less focus paid to colorectal cancer screening. This new study describes the colorectal cancer screening practices of men and women living in rural, suburban, and metropolitan counties. The data used in this study were obtained from men and women who were interviewed as part of CDCs Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a state-based telephone survey of adults aged 18 years or older. The results of this study underscore the need for continued efforts to increase colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 50 years or older in the United States. Special efforts may be required to increase screening in rural areas. Coughlin SS, Thompson TD. Colorectal Cancer Screening Practices Among Men and Women in Rural and Nonrural Areas of the United States, 1999. The Journal of Rural Health 2004;20(2):118-124. On-Schedule Mammography Rescreening in the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP)According to a recent study investigating mammography rescreening among low-income women enrolled in the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP), ongoing efforts are needed to ensure that women receive reminders for annual mammograms and encouragements from their medical providers and that they know how to obtain needed services. The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) provides free cancer screening to low-income, under-insured women annually, but does not routinely collect all data necessary for precise estimation of mammography rates among enrollees. To determine the percentages of women who were rescreened and to identify factors that encouraged on schedule rescreening, telephone interview and medical record data were collected from 1,685 enrollees in Maryland, New York, Ohio, and Texas at least 30 months after their 1997 index mammogram. The results show that rescreening behavior in this sample of NBCCEDP enrollees was comparable to that observed in other populations. The results of this study suggest that low-income women who enroll in a free mammography screening program are as likely as women in the general population to be screened every one to two years. However, data indicate that nearly one out of every five enrollees was not adhering to the rescreening schedule considered most beneficial for the early detection of breast cancer. To encourage these women to complete routine rescreening, providers and public health programs may need to communicate more frequently and more effectively with their enrollees. Bobo JK, Shapiro JA, Schulman J, Wolters CL. Mammography Rescreening Among Low-Income Women. Cancer Epidemiolology Biomarkers & Prevention 2004;13(4):620-630. Comparison of Screening Mammography in the United States and the United KingdomThis report compares screening mammography practices and performance in the United States and in the United Kingdom, with a concentration on two areas: recall rates and cancer detection rates. Recall rates refer to recommendations for further evaluation, including diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, clinical exam, or biopsy. Cancer detection rates were calculated for the first and subsequent mammogram and within 5-year age groups. The authors report that recall rates were about twice as high in the United States as in the United Kingdom for all age groups; however cancer rates were similar. They suggest, "Screening women aged 50 to 69 years biennially and reducing recall rates could substantially decrease the cost of breast cancer screening, as well as associated anxiety caused by false-positive diagnoses. Efforts to improve U.S. mammographic screening should be targeted to lowering the recall rate without substantially lowering the cancer detection rate." Other suggestions by the authors include the following
Smith-Bindman R, Chu PW, Miglioretti DL, Sickles EA, Blanks R, Billard-Barbash R, Bobo JK, Lee NC, Wallis MG, Patnick J, Kerlikowske K. Comparison of Screening Mammography in the United States and the United Kingdom. JAMA 2003;290(16):21292137. Additional information on CDC's cancer prevention and control efforts can be found at the CDC's Cancer Web site and information on CDC's efforts related to mammography and the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) can be found at the NBCCEDP Web site. Other Featured Articles
*Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are
provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an
endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal
Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the
content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links. |
|
 |
|
Privacy
Policy | Accessibility Page last reviewed: Thursday, September 09, 2004 United States
Department of Health and Human Services |
|
