For more information, reporters can contact: NCI Press Office 301-496-6641
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) announced today that the cancer death rate in the United States fell by nearly 3 percent between 1991 and 1995, the first sustained decline since national recordkeeping was instituted in the 1930s.
The rates reported by NCI are based on mortality data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For 1995, preliminary data were used, so the precise numbers could change slightly once final data are available. But officials said they are confident that the trend is real.
"The recent drop in the cancer death rate marks a turning point from the steady increase we have seen throughout much of the century," said NCI Director Richard Klausner, M.D. "The 1990s will be remembered as the decade when we measurably turned the tide against cancer."
Klausner added that thousands of scientists, doctors, nurses, patients, volunteers, and others have devoted themselves to conquering this disease, and "this is the news we've been waiting for. We are on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the National Cancer Act, the legislation that made cancer research a high national priority. Now our nation's investment is paying off by saving lives. We are immensely gratified."
The overall cancer death rate is a composite of rates for many different types of cancer. The mortality trends for major cancers in men and women provide a more detailed picture of the relative success that has been achieved against each disease so far.
Most of the overall drop in the death rate is due to declines in lung, colorectal, and prostate cancer deaths in men, and breast, colorectal, and gynecologic cancer deaths in women. Some of these trends have been noted previously; for example the breast cancer death rate has been falling since 1989, and the colorectal cancer rates have been falling for about 10 years in men and several decades in women. Other trends, such as the decline in prostate cancer mortality, have only now become apparent.
"The decline in mortality reveals the strides we have made in prevention through tobacco control, in early detection, and in treatment," said Brenda K. Edwards, Ph.D., associate director for NCI's Cancer Control Research Program. "The knowledge that has flowed from years of research, combined with a massive effort to apply that knowledge for the benefit of people, has made the difference."
The decline in mortality has been greater among men than women, although the absolute rate remains substantially higher in men. From 1991 to 1995 the rate declined 4.3 percent in men and 1.1 percent in women. By contrast, from 1971 to 1990, the rate rose 7.8 percent in men and 6.9 percent in women. The gender discrepancy in recent trends is largely a result of changes in lung cancer rates, which in turn are strongly influenced by smoking patterns. Lung cancer mortality fell 6.7 percent in men in the five-year period while rising 6.4 percent in women.
The decline in cancer mortality has been greater among African Americans than white Americans, although rates are still about 40 percent higher in black men than in white men. For blacks the overall rate declined 5.6 percent, while for whites the rate declined 1.7 percent. The decline in cancer mortality among blacks is largely due to trends in lung cancer in men and colorectal cancer in men and women.
The breast cancer death rate in women declined 6.3 percent between 1991 and 1995, with a larger decline in women under 65 (9.3 percent) compared with women 65 and older (2.8 percent). These gains reflect the success of both early detection and treatment advances.
Cervical cancer deaths fell 9.7 percent, reflecting the continued widespread use of Pap screening. Ovarian cancer deaths fell 4.8 percent, nearly all of the decline due to the trend in women under age 65.
Prostate cancer mortality declined 6.3 percent. The rate for men under age 75 fell 7.4 percent, while the rate for men 75 and older fell 3.8 percent. White men had a greater decline in prostate cancer mortality than black men. Causes of the prostate cancer trend are largely unclear, and additional time will be required to determine whether the decline continues.
Colorectal cancer mortality continued to decline for both men and women, a trend that likely reflects the success of early detection, better treatment, and possibly changes in diet and other risk factors.
Mortality from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma continues to increase among both men and women. The causes of this lymphatic cancer are poorly understood and are under study.
NCI scientists plan to publish a detailed analysis of the trends in 1997.
The Cancer Information Service provides a nationwide telephone service for cancer patients and their families, the public, and health care professionals. The toll-free number is 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237); services provided in English and Spanish. People with TTY equipment may call 1-800-332-8615.
This document and accompanying graphics are available through the NCI's CancerNet services on the Web (http://cancernet.nci.nih.gov), also on NCI's home page at http://rex.nci.nih.gov, and through Cancer Fax (dial 301-402-5874 from the handset on your fax machine).--an NIH HEALTHWise report, November/December 1996
