2006;56;106-130 CA Cancer J Clin Smigal and Michael J. Thun ...
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<strong>Cancer</strong> Statistics, <strong>2006</strong><br />
Ahmedin Jemal, Rebecca Siegel, Elizabeth Ward, Taylor Murray, Jiaquan Xu, Carol<br />
<strong>Smigal</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Michael</strong> J. <strong>Thun</strong><br />
<strong>CA</strong> <strong>Cancer</strong> J <strong>Clin</strong> <strong>2006</strong>;<strong>56</strong>;<strong>106</strong>-<strong>130</strong><br />
This information is current as of September 27, <strong>2006</strong><br />
The online version of this article, along with updated information <strong>and</strong> services, is<br />
located on the World Wide Web at:<br />
http://caonline.amcancersoc.org/cgi/content/full/<strong>56</strong>/2/<strong>106</strong><br />
To subscribe to the print issue of <strong>CA</strong>: A <strong>Cancer</strong> Journal for <strong>Clin</strong>icians, go to (US<br />
individuals only): http://caonline.amcancersoc.org/subscriptions/<br />
<strong>CA</strong>: A <strong>Cancer</strong> Journal for <strong>Clin</strong>icians is published six times per year for the American <strong>Cancer</strong><br />
Society by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. A bimonthly publication, it has been published<br />
continuously since November 1950. <strong>CA</strong> is owned, published, <strong>and</strong> trademarked by the American<br />
<strong>Cancer</strong> Society, 1599 Clifton Road, NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30329. (©American <strong>Cancer</strong> Society,<br />
Inc.) All rights reserved. Print ISSN: 0007-9235. Online ISSN: 1542-4863.<br />
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<strong>Cancer</strong> Statistics, <strong>2006</strong><br />
<strong>Cancer</strong> Statistics, <strong>2006</strong><br />
Ahmedin Jemal, DVM, PhD; Rebecca Siegel, MPH; Elizabeth Ward, PhD; Taylor Murray;<br />
Jiaquan Xu; Carol <strong>Smigal</strong>, MPH; <strong>Michael</strong> J. <strong>Thun</strong>, MD, MS<br />
Dr. Jemal is Program Director, <strong>Cancer</strong><br />
Occurrence, Department of Epidemiology<br />
<strong>and</strong> Surveillance Research, American<br />
<strong>Cancer</strong> Society, Atlanta, GA.<br />
Ms. Siegel is Manager, Surveillance<br />
Information Services, Department<br />
of Epidemiology <strong>and</strong><br />
Surveillance Research, American<br />
<strong>Cancer</strong> Society, Atlanta, GA.<br />
Dr. Ward is Director, Surveillance Research,<br />
Department of Epidemiology<br />
<strong>and</strong> Surveillance Research, American<br />
<strong>Cancer</strong> Society, Atlanta, GA.<br />
Mr. Murray is Manager, Surveillance<br />
Data Systems, Department of<br />
Epidemiology <strong>and</strong> Surveillance Research,<br />
American <strong>Cancer</strong> Society,<br />
Atlanta, GA.<br />
Mr. Xu is Epidemiologist, Mortality<br />
Statistics Branch, Division of Vital<br />
Statistics, Centers for Disease Control<br />
<strong>and</strong> Prevention, Hyattsville, MD.<br />
Ms. <strong>Smigal</strong> is Epidemiologist,<br />
Department of Epidemiology <strong>and</strong><br />
Surveillance Research, American<br />
<strong>Cancer</strong> Society, Atlanta, GA.<br />
Dr. <strong>Thun</strong> is Vice-President, Department<br />
of Epidemiology <strong>and</strong> Surveillance<br />
Research, American <strong>Cancer</strong><br />
Society, Atlanta, GA.<br />
This article is available online at<br />
http://<strong>CA</strong>online.Am<strong>Cancer</strong>Soc.org<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
ABSTRACT Each year, the American <strong>Cancer</strong> Society estimates the number of new cancer cases<br />
<strong>and</strong> deaths expected in the United States in the current year <strong>and</strong> compiles the most recent data on<br />
cancer incidence, mortality, <strong>and</strong> survival based on incidence data from the National <strong>Cancer</strong> Institute<br />
<strong>and</strong> mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Incidence <strong>and</strong> death rates are<br />
age-st<strong>and</strong>ardized to the 2000 US st<strong>and</strong>ard million population. A total of 1,399,790 new cancer<br />
cases <strong>and</strong> <strong>56</strong>4,830 deaths from cancer are expected in the United States in <strong>2006</strong>. When deaths are<br />
aggregated by age, cancer has surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death for those<br />
younger than age 85 since 1999. Delay-adjusted cancer incidence rates stabilized in men from 1995<br />
through 2002, but continued to increase by 0.3% per year from 1987 through 2002 in women.<br />
Between 2002 <strong>and</strong> 2003, the actual number of recorded cancer deaths decreased by 778 in men,<br />
but increased by 409 in women, resulting in a net decrease of 369, the first decrease in the total<br />
number of cancer deaths since national mortality record keeping was instituted in 1930. The death<br />
rate from all cancers combined has decreased by 1.5% per year since 1993 among men <strong>and</strong> by<br />
0.8% per year since 1992 among women. The mortality rate has also continued to decrease for the<br />
three most common cancer sites in men (lung <strong>and</strong> bronchus, colon <strong>and</strong> rectum, <strong>and</strong> prostate) <strong>and</strong><br />
for breast <strong>and</strong> colon <strong>and</strong> rectum cancers in women. Lung cancer mortality among women continues<br />
to increase slightly. In analyses by race <strong>and</strong> ethnicity, African American men <strong>and</strong> women have<br />
40% <strong>and</strong> 18% higher death rates from all cancers combined than White men <strong>and</strong> women, respectively.<br />
<strong>Cancer</strong> incidence <strong>and</strong> death rates are lower in other racial <strong>and</strong> ethnic groups than in Whites<br />
<strong>and</strong> African Americans for all sites combined <strong>and</strong> for the four major cancer sites. However, these<br />
groups generally have higher rates for stomach, liver, <strong>and</strong> cervical cancers than Whites. Furthermore,<br />
minority populations are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage disease than are<br />
Whites. Progress in reducing the burden of suffering <strong>and</strong> death from cancer can be accelerated by<br />
applying existing cancer control knowledge across all segments of the population. (<strong>CA</strong> <strong>Cancer</strong> J <strong>Clin</strong><br />
<strong>2006</strong>;<strong>56</strong>:<strong>106</strong>–<strong>130</strong>.) © American <strong>Cancer</strong> Society, Inc., <strong>2006</strong>.<br />
<strong>Cancer</strong> is a major public health problem in the United States <strong>and</strong> other developed countries. Currently, one in<br />
four deaths in the United States is due to cancer. In this article, we provide an overview of cancer statistics, including<br />
updated incidence, mortality, <strong>and</strong> survival rates <strong>and</strong> expected number of new cancer cases <strong>and</strong> deaths in <strong>2006</strong>.<br />
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MATERIALS AND METHODS<br />
Data Sources<br />
Mortality data from 1930 to 2003 in the United States were obtained from the National Center for Health<br />
Statistics (NCHS). 1 Incidence data (1975 to 2002), 5-year relative survival rates, <strong>and</strong> data on lifetime probability of<br />
<strong>106</strong> <strong>CA</strong> A <strong>Cancer</strong> Journal for <strong>Clin</strong>icians
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TABLE 1 Estimated New <strong>Cancer</strong> Cases <strong>and</strong> Deaths by Sex, United States, <strong>2006</strong>*<br />
*Rounded to the nearest 10; estimated new cases exclude basal <strong>and</strong> squamous cell skin cancers <strong>and</strong> in situ carcinomas except urinary bladder.<br />
About 61,980 carcinoma in situ of the breast <strong>and</strong> 49,710 melanoma in situ will be newly diagnosed in <strong>2006</strong>.<br />
†Estimated deaths for colon <strong>and</strong> rectum cancers are combined.<br />
‡More deaths than cases suggests lack of specificity in recording underlying causes of death on death certificates.<br />
Source: Estimates of new cases are based on incidence rates from 1979 to 2002, National <strong>Cancer</strong> Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology <strong>and</strong> End<br />
Results program, nine oldest registries. Estimates of deaths are based on data from US Mortality Public Use Data Tapes, 1969 to 2003, National<br />
Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control <strong>and</strong> Prevention, <strong>2006</strong>.<br />
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Volume <strong>56</strong> Y Number 2 Y March/April <strong>2006</strong> 107
<strong>Cancer</strong> Statistics, <strong>2006</strong><br />
TABLE 2 Age-st<strong>and</strong>ardized Incidence Rates for All <strong>Cancer</strong>s Combined, 1998-2002, <strong>and</strong> Estimated New Cases* for<br />
Selected <strong>Cancer</strong>s by State, United States, <strong>2006</strong><br />
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*Rounded to the nearest 10; excludes basal <strong>and</strong> squamous cell skin cancers <strong>and</strong> in situ carcinomas except urinary bladder.<br />
†Average annual rates for 1998–2002, age-adjusted to the 2000 US st<strong>and</strong>ard population; source: <strong>Cancer</strong> in North America; 1998–2002, Vol. One: Incidence,<br />
NAACCR, based on data collected by cancer registries participating in NCI’s SEER Program <strong>and</strong> CDC’s National Program of <strong>Cancer</strong> Registries.<br />
‡Estimate is fewer than 50 cases. Note: These estimates are offered as a rough guide <strong>and</strong> should be interpreted with caution. State estimates are<br />
calculated according to the distribution of estimated cancer deaths in <strong>2006</strong> by state. State estimates may not add to US total due to rounding <strong>and</strong><br />
exclusion of state estimates fewer than 50 cases.<br />
§Combined incidence rate is not available.<br />
Incidence rate is for the Metropolitan Atlanta area.<br />
108 <strong>CA</strong> A <strong>Cancer</strong> Journal for <strong>Clin</strong>icians
<strong>CA</strong> <strong>Cancer</strong> J <strong>Clin</strong> <strong>2006</strong>;<strong>56</strong>:<strong>106</strong>–<strong>130</strong><br />
FIGURE 1 Ten Leading <strong>Cancer</strong> Types for the Estimated New <strong>Cancer</strong> Cases <strong>and</strong> Deaths, by Sex, US, <strong>2006</strong>.<br />
*Excludes basal <strong>and</strong> squamous cell skin cancers <strong>and</strong> in situ carcinoma except urinary bladder. Estimates are rounded to the nearest 10.<br />
Note: Percentage may not total 100% due to rounding.<br />
developing cancer were obtained from the Surveillance,<br />
Epidemiology, <strong>and</strong> End Results<br />
(SEER) program of the National <strong>Cancer</strong> Institute,<br />
covering about 14% of the US population.<br />
2–5 State-specific incidence rates were<br />
abstracted from <strong>Cancer</strong> in North America (1998-<br />
2002) Volume One, based on data collected by<br />
cancer registries participating in the SEER program<br />
<strong>and</strong> Centers for Disease Control <strong>and</strong> Prevention<br />
(CDC)’s National Program of <strong>Cancer</strong><br />
Registries. Population data were obtained from<br />
the US Census Bureau. 6 Causes of death were<br />
coded <strong>and</strong> classified according to the International<br />
Classification of Diseases (ICD-8, ICD-9, <strong>and</strong><br />
ICD-10). 7–9 <strong>Cancer</strong> cases were classified according<br />
to the International Classification of Diseases<br />
for Oncology. 10<br />
Estimated New <strong>Cancer</strong> Cases<br />
The precise number of cancer cases diagnosed<br />
each year in the nation is unknown because complete<br />
cancer registration has not yet been achieved in<br />
many states. Consequently, for the national estimate<br />
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Volume <strong>56</strong> Y Number 2 Y March/April <strong>2006</strong> 109
<strong>Cancer</strong> Statistics, <strong>2006</strong><br />
TABLE 3 Age-st<strong>and</strong>ardized Death Rates for All <strong>Cancer</strong>s Combined, 1998 to 2002, <strong>and</strong> Estimated Deaths* from All<br />
<strong>Cancer</strong>s Combined <strong>and</strong> Selected Sites by State, United States, <strong>2006</strong><br />
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*Rounded to the nearest 10.<br />
†Average annual rates for 1998 to 2002 are age-adjusted to the 2000 US st<strong>and</strong>ard population.<br />
‡Estimate is fewer than 50 deaths.<br />
Note: State estimates may not add to US total due to rounding <strong>and</strong> exclusion of state estimates fewer than 50 deaths.<br />
Source: US Mortality Public Use Data Tapes, 1969 to 2003, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control <strong>and</strong> Prevention, <strong>2006</strong>.<br />
110 <strong>CA</strong> A <strong>Cancer</strong> Journal for <strong>Clin</strong>icians
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TABLE 4 <strong>Cancer</strong> Incidence Rates* by Site <strong>and</strong> State, US, 1998 to 2002<br />
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*Per 100,000, age-adjusted to the 2000 US st<strong>and</strong>ard population. Not all states submitted data for all years.<br />
†This state’s registry has submitted five years of data <strong>and</strong> passed rigorous criteria for each single year’s data including: completeness of reporting,<br />
non-duplication of records, percent unknown in critical data fields, percent of cases registered with information from death certificates only, <strong>and</strong> internal<br />
consistency among data items.<br />
‡This state’s registry did not submit incidence data to the North American Association of Central <strong>Cancer</strong> Registries (NAACCR) for 1998 to 2002.<br />
Source: <strong>Cancer</strong> in North America: 1998 to 2002, Volume One: Incidence, North American Association of Central <strong>Cancer</strong> Registries.<br />
Volume <strong>56</strong> Y Number 2 Y March/April <strong>2006</strong> 111
<strong>Cancer</strong> Statistics, <strong>2006</strong><br />
FIGURE 2 Annual Age-adjusted <strong>Cancer</strong> Incidence <strong>and</strong> Death Rates* for All Sites, by Sex, US, 1975 to 2002.<br />
*Rates are age-adjusted to the 2000 US st<strong>and</strong>ard population. Incidence rates are delay-adjusted. Source: Incidence data from<br />
Surveillance, Epidemiology, <strong>and</strong> End Results (SEER) program, nine oldest registries, 1975 to 2002, Division of <strong>Cancer</strong> Control<br />
<strong>and</strong> Population Sciences, National <strong>Cancer</strong> Institute, 2005. Mortality data from US Mortality Public Use Data Tapes, 1960 to<br />
2002, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control <strong>and</strong> Prevention, 2005.<br />
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we first estimated the number of new cancer cases<br />
occurring annually in the United States from 1979<br />
through 2002, using age-specific cancer incidence<br />
rates collected by the SEER program 2 <strong>and</strong> population<br />
data reported by the US Census Bureau. 6 We<br />
then forecast the number of cancer cases expected to<br />
be diagnosed in the United States in the year <strong>2006</strong><br />
using an autoregressive quadratic time-trend model<br />
fitted to the annual cancer case estimates. 11 For<br />
estimates of new cancer cases in individual states, we<br />
projected the number of deaths from cancer in each<br />
state in <strong>2006</strong> <strong>and</strong> assumed that the ratio of estimated<br />
cancer deaths to cases in each state equaled that in<br />
the United States.<br />
112 <strong>CA</strong> A <strong>Cancer</strong> Journal for <strong>Clin</strong>icians
<strong>CA</strong> <strong>Cancer</strong> J <strong>Clin</strong> <strong>2006</strong>;<strong>56</strong>:<strong>106</strong>–<strong>130</strong><br />
FIGURE 3 Annual Age-adjusted <strong>Cancer</strong> Incidence Rates* Among Males <strong>and</strong> Females for Selected <strong>Cancer</strong>s, US, 1975 to 2002.<br />
*Rates are age-adjusted to the 2000 US st<strong>and</strong>ard population <strong>and</strong> adjusted for delays in reporting with the exception of melanoma. Source:<br />
Surveillance, Epidemiology, <strong>and</strong> End Results (SEER) program, nine oldest registries, 1975 to 2002, Division of <strong>Cancer</strong> Control <strong>and</strong> Population<br />
Sciences, National <strong>Cancer</strong> Institute, 2005.<br />
Estimated <strong>Cancer</strong> Deaths<br />
We used the state-space prediction method 12<br />
to estimate the number of cancer deaths expected<br />
to occur in the United States <strong>and</strong> in each state in<br />
the year <strong>2006</strong>. Projections arebased on underlying<br />
cause-of-death from death certificates as reported<br />
to the NCHS. 1 This model projects the<br />
number of cancer deaths expected to occur in<br />
<strong>2006</strong> based on the number that occurred each<br />
year from 1969 to 2003 in the United States <strong>and</strong><br />
in each state separately.<br />
Other Statistics<br />
We provide mortality statistics for the<br />
leading causes of death as well as deaths from<br />
cancer in the year 2003. Causes of death for<br />
2003 were coded <strong>and</strong> classified according to<br />
ICD-10. 7 This report also provides updated<br />
statistics on trends in cancer incidence <strong>and</strong><br />
mortality rates, the probability of developing<br />
cancer, <strong>and</strong> 5-year relative survival rates for<br />
selected cancer sites based on data from 1974<br />
through 2002. 3 All age-adjusted incidence<br />
<strong>and</strong> death rates are st<strong>and</strong>ardized to the 2000<br />
US st<strong>and</strong>ard population <strong>and</strong> expressed per<br />
100,000 population.<br />
The long-term incidence rates <strong>and</strong> trends<br />
(1975 to 2002) are adjusted for delays in reporting<br />
where possible. Delayed reporting affects<br />
the most recent 1 to 3 years of incidence<br />
data (in this case, 2000 to 2002), especially for<br />
cancers such as melanoma <strong>and</strong> prostate that are<br />
frequently diagnosed in outpatient settings.<br />
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Volume <strong>56</strong> Y Number 2 Y March/April <strong>2006</strong> 113
<strong>Cancer</strong> Statistics, <strong>2006</strong><br />
FIGURE 4 Annual Age-adjusted <strong>Cancer</strong> Death Rates* Among Males for Selected <strong>Cancer</strong>s, US, 1930 to 2002.<br />
*Rates are age-adjusted to the 2000 US st<strong>and</strong>ard population. Note: Due to changes in ICD coding, numerator information has changed over<br />
time. Rates for cancers of the lung <strong>and</strong> bronchus, colon <strong>and</strong> rectum, <strong>and</strong> liver are affected by these changes. Source: US Mortality Public Use<br />
Data Tapes, 1960 to 2002, US Mortality Volumes, 1930 to 1959, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control <strong>and</strong> Prevention,<br />
2005.<br />
The NCI has developed a method to account<br />
for expected reporting delays in SEER registries<br />
for all cancer sites combined <strong>and</strong> several specific<br />
cancer sites when long-term incidence trends are<br />
analyzed. 13 Delay-adjusted incidence provides a<br />
more accurate assessment of trends in the most<br />
recent years for which data are available.<br />
SELECTED FINDINGS<br />
Expected Numbers of New <strong>Cancer</strong> Cases<br />
Table 1 presents estimated numbers of<br />
new cancer cases expected among men <strong>and</strong><br />
women in the United States in <strong>2006</strong>. The<br />
estimate of about 1.4 million new cases of<br />
invasive cancer does not include carcinoma<br />
in situ of any site except urinary bladder, nor<br />
does it include basal cell <strong>and</strong> squamous cell<br />
cancers of the skin. Over 1 million cases of<br />
basal cell <strong>and</strong> squamous cell skin cancer, about<br />
61,980 cases of breast carcinoma in situ, <strong>and</strong><br />
49,710 cases of in situ melanoma are expected<br />
to be newly diagnosed in <strong>2006</strong>. The estimated<br />
numbers of new cancer cases by state for selected<br />
cancer sites are shown in Table 2.<br />
Figure 1 indicates the most common cancers<br />
expected to occur in men <strong>and</strong> women in <strong>2006</strong>.<br />
Among men, cancers of the prostate, lung <strong>and</strong><br />
bronchus, <strong>and</strong> colon <strong>and</strong> rectum account for<br />
over <strong>56</strong>% of all newly diagnosed cancer. Pros-<br />
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FIGURE 5 Annual Age-adjusted <strong>Cancer</strong> Death Rates* Among Females for Selected <strong>Cancer</strong>s, US, 1930 to 2002.<br />
*Rates are age-adjusted to the 2000 US st<strong>and</strong>ard population.<br />
Note: Due to changes in ICD coding, numerator information has changed over time. Rates for cancers of the uterus, ovary, lung <strong>and</strong> bronchus, <strong>and</strong><br />
colon <strong>and</strong> rectum are affected by these changes.<br />
†Uterus includes uterine cervix <strong>and</strong> uterine corpus.<br />
Source: US Mortality Public Use Data Tapes, 1960 to 2002, US Mortality Volumes 1930 to 1959, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for<br />
Disease Control <strong>and</strong> Prevention, 2005.<br />
tate cancer alone accounts for about 33%<br />
(234,460) of incident cases in men. Based on<br />
cases diagnosed between 1995 <strong>and</strong> 2001, an<br />
estimated 91% of these new cases of prostate<br />
cancer are expected to be diagnosed at local or<br />
regional stages, for which 5-year relative survival<br />
approaches 100%.<br />
The three most commonly diagnosed<br />
cancers among women in <strong>2006</strong> will be cancers<br />
of the breast, lung <strong>and</strong> bronchus, <strong>and</strong> colon <strong>and</strong><br />
rectum, accounting for about 54% of estimated<br />
cancer cases in women. Breast cancer alone is<br />
expected to account for 31% (212,920) of all<br />
new cancer cases among women.<br />
Expected Number of New <strong>Cancer</strong> Deaths<br />
Table 1 also shows the expected number of<br />
cancer deaths in <strong>2006</strong> for men, women, <strong>and</strong> both<br />
sexes combined. It is estimated that about<br />
<strong>56</strong>4,830 Americans will die from cancer, corresponding<br />
to over 1,500 deaths per day. <strong>Cancer</strong>s of<br />
the lung <strong>and</strong> bronchus, colon <strong>and</strong> rectum, <strong>and</strong><br />
prostate in men, <strong>and</strong> cancers of the lung <strong>and</strong><br />
bronchus, breast, <strong>and</strong> colon <strong>and</strong> rectum in<br />
women continue to be the most common fatal<br />
cancers. These four cancers account for half of the<br />
total cancer deaths among men <strong>and</strong> women (Figure<br />
1). Lung cancer surpassed breast cancer as the<br />
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Volume <strong>56</strong> Y Number 2 Y March/April <strong>2006</strong> 115
<strong>Cancer</strong> Statistics, <strong>2006</strong><br />
TABLE 5 Trends in <strong>Cancer</strong> Incidence <strong>and</strong> Death Rates for Selected <strong>Cancer</strong>s by Sex, US, 1975 to 2002<br />
Line Segment 1 Line Segment 2 Line Segment 3 Line Segment 4<br />
Year APC* Year APC* Year APC* Year APC*<br />
All sites<br />
Incidence<br />
Male <strong>and</strong> female 1975–1983 0.9† 1983–1992 1.8† 1992–1995 -1.7 1995–2002 0.3<br />
Male 1975–1989 1.3† 1989–1992 5.2† 1992–1995 -4.7† 1995–2002 0.2<br />
Female 1975–1979 -0.2 1979–1987 1.5† 1987–2002 0.3†<br />
Death<br />
Male <strong>and</strong> female 1975–1990 0.5† 1990–1993 -0.3 1993–2002 -1.1†<br />
Male 1975–1979 1.0† 1979–1990 0.3† 1990–1993 -0.4 1993–2002 -1.5†<br />
Female 1975–1992 0.5† 1992–2002 -0.8†<br />
Lung & bronchus<br />
Incidence<br />
Male <strong>and</strong> female 1975–1982 2.5† 1982–1991 1.0† 1991–2002 -0.7†<br />
Male 1975–1982 1.5† 1982–1991 -0.4 1991–2002 -1.8†<br />
Female 1975–1982 5.5† 1982–1990 3.5† 1990–1998 1.0† 1998–2002 -0.5<br />
Death<br />
Male <strong>and</strong> female 1975–1980 3.0† 1980–1990 1.8† 1990–1994 -0.1 1994–2002 -0.9†<br />
Male 1975–1978 2.4† 1978–1984 1.2† 1984–1991 0.3† 1991–2002 -1.9†<br />
Female 1975–1982 6.0† 1982–1990 4.2† 1990–1995 1.7† 1995–2002 0.3†<br />
Colon & rectum<br />
Incidence<br />
Male <strong>and</strong> female 1975–1985 0.8† 1985–1995 -1.8† 1995–1998 1.1 1998–2002 -1.8†<br />
Male 1975–1986 1.1† 1986–1995 -2.1† 1995–1998 1.0 1998–2002 -2.5†<br />
Female 1975–1985 0.3† 1985–1995 -1.8† 1995–1998 1.5 1998–2002 -1.5†<br />
Death<br />
Male <strong>and</strong> female 1975–1984 -0.5† 1984–2002 -1.8†<br />
Male 1975–1978 0.8 1978–1984 -0.4 1984–1990 -1.3† 1990–2002 -2.0†<br />
Female 1975–1984 -1.0† 1984–2002 -1.8†<br />
Female breast<br />
Incidence 1975–1980 -0.4 1980–1987 3.7† 1987–2002 0.4†<br />
Death 1975–1990 0.4† 1990–2002 -2.3†<br />
Prostate<br />
Incidence 1975–1988 2.6† 1988–1992 16.5† 1992–1995 -11.2† 1995–2002 1.7†<br />
Death 1975–1987 0.9† 1987–1991 3.1† 1991–1994 -0.6 1994–2002 -4.0†<br />
*APC, annual percent change based on rates age-adjusted to the 2000 st<strong>and</strong>ard population.<br />
†The APC is significantly different from zero.<br />
Note: Trends were analyzed by Joinpoint Regression Program, version 3.0, with a maximum of three joinpoints (ie, four line segments).<br />
Trends in incidence are based on rates adjusted for delay in reporting.<br />
Source: Ries LAG, Eisner MP, Kosary CL, et al. 3<br />
leading cause of cancer death in women in 1987.<br />
Lung cancer is expected to account for 26% of all<br />
cancer deaths among females in <strong>2006</strong>. Table 3<br />
provides the estimated number of cancer deaths<br />
in <strong>2006</strong> by state for selected cancer sites.<br />
Regional Variations in <strong>Cancer</strong> Rates<br />
Table 4 depicts cancer incidence for select<br />
cancers by state. Rates vary widely across states.<br />
For example, among the cancers listed in<br />
Table 4, the largest variation in the incidence<br />
rates (in proportionate terms) occurred in<br />
lung cancer in which rates (cases per 100,000<br />
population) ranged from 42.3 in men <strong>and</strong><br />
21.5 in women in Utah to 138.2 in men <strong>and</strong><br />
72.3 in women in Kentucky. In contrast, the<br />
variation in female breast cancer incidence<br />
rates was small, ranging from 116.6 cases per<br />
100,000 populations in New Mexico to<br />
149.5 cases in Washington. Factors that contribute<br />
to the state variations in the incidence<br />
rates include differences in the prevalence of<br />
risk factors, access to <strong>and</strong> utilization of early<br />
detection services, <strong>and</strong> completeness of reporting.<br />
For example, the state variation in<br />
lung cancer incidence rates reflects differences<br />
in smoking prevalence; Utah ranks<br />
lowest in adult smoking prevalence <strong>and</strong> Kentucky<br />
highest.<br />
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TABLE 6 Fifteen Leading Causes of Death, United States, 2003<br />
†Rates are per 100,000 population <strong>and</strong> age-adjusted to the 2000 US st<strong>and</strong>ard population.<br />
Note: Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding. Symptoms, signs, <strong>and</strong> abnormalities, events of undetermined<br />
intent, <strong>and</strong> pneumonitis due to solids <strong>and</strong> liquids were excluded from the cause of death ranking order.<br />
Source: US Mortality Public Use Data Tape, 2003, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control <strong>and</strong><br />
Prevention, <strong>2006</strong>.<br />
Trends in <strong>Cancer</strong> Incidence <strong>and</strong> Mortality<br />
Figures 2 to 5 depict long-term trends in<br />
cancer incidence <strong>and</strong> death rates for all cancers<br />
combined <strong>and</strong> for selected cancer sites by sex.<br />
Table 5 shows incidence <strong>and</strong> mortality patterns<br />
for all cancer sites <strong>and</strong> for the four most common<br />
cancer sites based on joinpoint analysis.<br />
Trends in incidence were adjusted for delayed<br />
reporting. Delay-adjusted cancer incidence<br />
rates stabilized in men from 1995 to 2002 <strong>and</strong><br />
increased in women by 0.3% per year from<br />
1987 to 2002. Death rates for all cancer sites<br />
combined decreased by 1.5% per year from<br />
1993 to 2002 in males <strong>and</strong> by 0.8% per year in<br />
females from 1992 to 2002.<br />
Mortality rates have continued to decrease<br />
across all four major cancer sites in men <strong>and</strong> in<br />
women, except for female lung cancer in which<br />
rates continued to increase by 0.3% per year from<br />
1995 to 2002 (Table 5). The incidence trends are<br />
mixed, however. Lung cancer incidence rates are<br />
declining in men <strong>and</strong> have leveled off after increasing<br />
for many decades in women. The lag in<br />
the temporal trend of lung cancer incidence rates<br />
in women compared to men reflects historical<br />
differences in cigarette smoking between men<br />
<strong>and</strong> women; cigarette smoking in women peaked<br />
about 20 years later than in men. Colorectal<br />
cancer incidence rates have decreased from 1998<br />
through 2002 in both males <strong>and</strong> in females. Prostate<br />
<strong>and</strong> female breast cancer incidence rates have<br />
continued to increase, although at a slower rate<br />
than in previous years. The continuing increase<br />
may be attributable to increased screening<br />
through prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing<br />
for prostate cancer <strong>and</strong> mammography for breast<br />
cancer. Use of postmenopausal hormone therapy<br />
<strong>and</strong> increased prevalence of obesity may also be<br />
factors influencing the increase in female breast<br />
cancer incidence. 14<br />
Changes in the Recorded Number of Deaths from<br />
<strong>Cancer</strong> from 2002 to 2003<br />
A total of 5<strong>56</strong>,902 cancer deaths were recorded<br />
in the United States in 2003, the most<br />
recent year for which actual dates are available.<br />
About 369 fewer deaths were recorded in 2003<br />
than in 2002, the first decrease since national<br />
mortality record keeping was instituted in<br />
1930. <strong>Cancer</strong> accounted for about 23% of all<br />
deaths, ranking second only to heart disease<br />
(Table 6). When cause of death is ranked<br />
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<strong>Cancer</strong> Statistics, <strong>2006</strong><br />
TABLE 7 Ten Leading Causes of Death by Age <strong>and</strong> Sex, United States, 2003<br />
Note: Symptoms, signs, <strong>and</strong> abnormalities, events of undetermined intent, certain perinatal conditions, <strong>and</strong> pneumonitis due to solids <strong>and</strong> liquids were<br />
excluded from the cause of death ranking order. All ages excludes deaths with unknown age.<br />
Source: US Mortality Public Use Data Tapes, 2003, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control <strong>and</strong> Prevention, <strong>2006</strong>.<br />
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within each age group, categorized in 20-year<br />
age intervals, cancer is one of the five leading<br />
causes of death in each age group among both<br />
males <strong>and</strong> females (Table 7). <strong>Cancer</strong> is the<br />
leading cause of death among women ages 40<br />
to 79 <strong>and</strong> among men ages 60 to 79. When<br />
age-adjusted death rates are considered (Figure<br />
6), cancer is the leading cause of death among<br />
men <strong>and</strong> women under age 85. A total of<br />
476,844 people under age 85 died from cancer<br />
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FIGURE 6 Death Rates* From <strong>Cancer</strong> <strong>and</strong> Heart Disease for Ages Younger than 85 <strong>and</strong> 85 <strong>and</strong> Older.<br />
*Rates are age-adjusted to the 2000 US st<strong>and</strong>ard population.<br />
Source: US Mortality Public Use Data Tapes, 1960 to 2002, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control <strong>and</strong> Prevention, 2005.<br />
in the US in 2003, compared with 436,258<br />
deaths from heart disease.<br />
Table 8 presents the number of deaths from<br />
all cancers combined <strong>and</strong> the five most common<br />
cancer sites for males <strong>and</strong> females at various<br />
ages. Among males under age 40,<br />
leukemia is the most common cause of cancer<br />
death, whereas cancer of the lung <strong>and</strong> bronchus<br />
predominates in men age 40 years <strong>and</strong> older.<br />
Colon <strong>and</strong> rectum <strong>and</strong> prostate cancer are the<br />
second most common causes of cancer death<br />
among men 40 to 79 years old <strong>and</strong> age 80 years<br />
<strong>and</strong> older, respectively. Among females, leukemia<br />
is the leading cause of cancer death before<br />
age 20, breast cancer ranks first at ages 20 to 59<br />
years, <strong>and</strong> lung cancer ranks first at age 60 years<br />
<strong>and</strong> older.<br />
From 2002 to 2003, the number of recorded<br />
cancer deaths decreased by 778 in men, but<br />
increased by 409 in women (Table 9). The<br />
largest change in the total number of deaths<br />
from the major cancers was for prostate cancer<br />
in men (decreased by 892) <strong>and</strong> for lung cancer<br />
in women (increased by 575).<br />
<strong>CA</strong>NCER OCCURRENCE BY RACE/ETHNICITY<br />
<strong>Cancer</strong> incidence <strong>and</strong> death rates vary considerably<br />
among racial <strong>and</strong> ethnic groups (Table<br />
10). For all cancer sites combined, African<br />
American men have a 23% higher incidence rate<br />
<strong>and</strong> 40% higher death rate than White men.<br />
African American women have a 7% lower inci-<br />
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<strong>Cancer</strong> Statistics, <strong>2006</strong><br />
TABLE 8 Reported Deaths for the Five Leading <strong>Cancer</strong> Sites by Age <strong>and</strong> Sex, United States, 2003<br />
*ONS Other nervous system.<br />
Note: Others <strong>and</strong> Unspecified Primary excluded from cause of death ranking order. All ages excludes deaths with unknown age.<br />
Source: US Mortality Public Use Data Tapes, 2003, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control <strong>and</strong><br />
Prevention, <strong>2006</strong>.<br />
dence rate but an 18% higher death rate than<br />
White women for all cancer sites combined. For<br />
the specific cancer sites listed in Table 10, incidence<br />
<strong>and</strong> death rates are consistently higher in<br />
African Americans than in Whites, except for<br />
breast cancer (incidence) <strong>and</strong> lung cancer (mortality)<br />
among women. Death rates from prostate,<br />
stomach, <strong>and</strong> cervical cancers among African<br />
Americans are more than twice those in<br />
Whites. Factors known to contribute to racial<br />
disparities in mortality include differences<br />
in exposure (eg, Helicobacter pylori for<br />
stomach cancer), access to high-quality regular<br />
screening (breast, cervical, <strong>and</strong> colorectal<br />
cancers), <strong>and</strong> timely treatment (for many<br />
cancers). The higher breast cancer incidence<br />
rate among Whites is thought to reflect a<br />
combination of factors that affect diagnosis,<br />
such as more frequent mammography in<br />
White women, <strong>and</strong> factors that affect disease<br />
risk, such as later age at first birth <strong>and</strong> greater<br />
use of hormone replacement therapy among<br />
White than African American women. 14<br />
Among other racial <strong>and</strong> ethnic groups, cancer<br />
incidence <strong>and</strong> death rates are lower for all cancer<br />
sites combined <strong>and</strong> for the four most common<br />
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TABLE 9 Trends in the Recorded Number of Deaths for Selected <strong>Cancer</strong>s by Sex, United States, 1989<br />
to 2003<br />
Note: Effective with the mortality data for 1999, causes of death are classified by ICD-10, replacing ICD-9 used for 1979 to 1998<br />
data.<br />
Source: US Mortality Public Use Data Tapes, 1989 to 2003, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control<br />
<strong>and</strong> Prevention, <strong>2006</strong>.<br />
cancer sites than are rates in Whites <strong>and</strong> African<br />
Americans. However, incidence <strong>and</strong> death rates<br />
for cancers of the uterine cervix, stomach, <strong>and</strong><br />
liver are generally higher in minority population<br />
than in Whites. Stomach <strong>and</strong> liver cancer incidence<br />
<strong>and</strong> death rates are more than twice as high<br />
in Asian/Pacific Isl<strong>and</strong>ers as in Whites, reflecting<br />
increased exposure to infectious agents such as H.<br />
pylori <strong>and</strong> Hepatitis B virus. 15<br />
Trends in cancer incidence can only be adjusted<br />
for delayed reporting in Whites <strong>and</strong> African Americans,<br />
<strong>and</strong> not in other racial <strong>and</strong> ethnic subgroups<br />
because the long-term incidence data required for<br />
delay adjustment are available only for Whites <strong>and</strong><br />
for African Americans. From 1992 to 2002, incidence<br />
rates for all cancer sites combined, not adjusted<br />
for delayed reporting, decreased by 2.7% per<br />
year among American Indians/Alaskan Natives, by<br />
1.0% per year in African Americans, by 0.6% among<br />
Asian/Pacific Isl<strong>and</strong>ers, <strong>and</strong> by 0.4% among<br />
Hispanic-Latinos <strong>and</strong> Whites. Similarly, the death<br />
rate for all cancers combined decreased from 1992<br />
through 2002 by 1.7% per year in Asian/Pacific<br />
Isl<strong>and</strong>ers, by 1.5% among African Americans, by<br />
0.9% among Whites, <strong>and</strong> by 0.6% among Hispanic-<br />
Latinos. The death rate from all cancers combined<br />
stabilized during this time period among American<br />
Indians/Alaskan Natives. 3<br />
Lifetime Probability of Developing <strong>Cancer</strong><br />
The lifetime probability of developing cancer<br />
is higher for men (46%) than for women (38%)<br />
(Table 11). However, because of the relatively<br />
early age of onset of breast cancer, women have a<br />
slightly higher probability of developing cancer<br />
before the age of 60 years. It is noteworthy that<br />
these estimates are based on the average experience<br />
of the general population <strong>and</strong> may over or<br />
under estimate individual risk because of differences<br />
in exposure <strong>and</strong>/or genetic susceptibility.<br />
<strong>Cancer</strong> Survival by Race<br />
Compared with Whites, African American<br />
men <strong>and</strong> women have poorer survival once a<br />
cancer diagnosis is made. As shown in Figure 7,<br />
African Americans are less likely than Whites to<br />
be diagnosed with cancer at a localized stage,<br />
when the disease may be more easily <strong>and</strong> successfully<br />
treated, <strong>and</strong> are more likely to be<br />
diagnosed with cancer at a regional or distant<br />
stage of disease. Five-year relative survival is<br />
lower in African Americans than Whites within<br />
each stratum of stage of diagnosis for nearly<br />
every cancer site (Figure 8). These disparities<br />
may result from inequalities in access to <strong>and</strong><br />
receipt of quality health care <strong>and</strong>/or from dif-<br />
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TABLE 10 Age-st<strong>and</strong>ardized Incidence <strong>and</strong> Death Rates* for Selected <strong>Cancer</strong>s by Race <strong>and</strong> Ethnicity,<br />
US, 1998 to 2002<br />
All<br />
Races<br />
White<br />
African<br />
American<br />
Asian<br />
American/<br />
Pacific<br />
Isl<strong>and</strong>er<br />
American<br />
Indian/<br />
Alaskan<br />
Native<br />
Hispanic-<br />
Latino†<br />
Incidence Rates<br />
All sites<br />
Male 553.3 5<strong>56</strong>.4 682.6 383.5 255.4 420.7<br />
Female 413.5 429.3 398.5 303.6 220.5 310.9<br />
Breast (Female) 134.4 141.1 119.4 96.6 54.8 89.9<br />
Colon & rectum<br />
Male 62.1 61.7 72.5 <strong>56</strong>.0 36.7 48.3<br />
Female 46.0 45.3 <strong>56</strong>.0 39.7 32.2 32.3<br />
Lung & bronchus<br />
Male 77.8 76.7 113.9 59.4 42.6 44.6<br />
Female 48.9 51.1 55.2 28.3 23.6 23.3<br />
Prostate 173.8 169.0 272.0 101.4 50.3 141.9<br />
Stomach<br />
Male 12.3 10.7 17.7 21.0 15.9 17.2<br />
Female 6.1 5.0 9.6 12.0 9.1 10.1<br />
Liver & bile duct<br />
Male 9.3 7.4 12.1 21.4 8.7 14.1<br />
Female 3.6 2.9 3.7 7.9 5.2 6.1<br />
Uterine cervix 8.9 8.7 11.1 8.9 4.9 15.8<br />
Death Rates<br />
All sites<br />
Male 247.5 242.5 339.4 148.0 159.7 171.4<br />
Female 165.5 164.5 194.3 99.4 113.8 111.0<br />
Breast (Female) 26.4 25.9 34.7 12.7 13.8 16.7<br />
Colon & rectum<br />
Male 24.8 24.3 34.0 15.8 16.2 17.7<br />
Female 17.4 16.8 24.1 10.6 11.8 11.6<br />
Lung & bronchus<br />
Male 76.3 75.2 101.3 39.4 47.0 38.7<br />
Female 40.9 41.8 39.9 18.8 27.1 14.8<br />
Prostate 30.3 27.7 68.1 12.1 18.3 23.0<br />
Stomach<br />
Male 6.3 5.6 12.8 11.2 7.3 9.5<br />
Female 3.2 2.8 6.3 6.8 4.1 5.3<br />
Liver & bile duct<br />
Male 6.8 6.2 9.5 15.4 7.9 10.7<br />
Female 3.0 2.7 3.8 6.5 4.3 5.1<br />
Uterine cervix 2.8 2.5 5.3 2.7 2.6 3.5<br />
*Rates are per 100,000 <strong>and</strong> age-adjusted to the 2000 US st<strong>and</strong>ard population.<br />
†Hispanics-Latinos are not mutually exclusive from Whites, African Americans, Asian Americans/Pacific Isl<strong>and</strong>ers, <strong>and</strong><br />
American Indians/Alaskan Natives.<br />
Source: Ries LAG, Eisner MP, Kosary CL, et al. 3<br />
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TABLE 11 Probability of Developing Invasive <strong>Cancer</strong>s Within Selected Age Intervals, by Sex, US, 2000<br />
to 2002*<br />
70 <strong>and</strong> Birth to<br />
Birth to 39 40 to 59 60 to 69 Older Death<br />
(%) (%) (%) (%) (%)<br />
All sites† Male 1.43 (1 in 70) 8.57 (1 in 12) 16.46 (1 in 6) 39.61 (1 in 3) 45.67 (1 in 2)<br />
Female 1.99 (1 in 50) 9.06 (1 in 11) 10.54 (1 in 9) 26.72 (1 in 4) 38.09 (1 in 3)<br />
Urinary bladder Male .02 (1 in 4375) .40 (1 in 250) .93 (1 in 108) 3.35 (1 in 30) 3.58 (1 in 28)<br />
Female .01 (1 in 9513) .12 (1 in 816) .25 (1 in 402) .96 (1 in 104) 1.14 (1 in 88)<br />
Breast Female .48 (1 in 209) 4.11 (1 in 24) 3.82 (1 in 26) 7.13 (1 in 14) 13.22 (1 in 8)<br />
Colon & rectum Male .07 (1 in 1399) .90 (1 in 111) 1.66 (1 in 60) 4.94 (1 in 20) 5.84 (1 in 17)<br />
Female .06 (1 in 1<strong>56</strong>7) .70 (1 in 143) 1.16 (1 in 86) 4.61 (1 in 22) 5.51 (1 in 18)<br />
Leukemia Male .15 (1 in 650) .22 (1 in 459) .35 (1 in 284) 1.17 (1 in 85) 1.50 (1 in 67)<br />
Female .13 (1 in 788) .14 (1 in 721) .19 (1 in 513) .78 (1 in 129) 1.07 (1 in 93)<br />
Lung & bronchus Male .03 (1 in 3244) 1.00 (1 in 100) 2.45 (1 in 41) 6.33 (1 in 16) 7.58 (1 in 13)<br />
Female .03 (1 in 3103) .80 (1 in 125) 1.68 (1 in 60) 4.17 (1 in 24) 5.72 (1 in 17)<br />
Melanoma of the skin Male .13 (1 in 800) .51 (1 in 195) .51 (1 in 195) 1.25 (1 in 80) 1.94 (1 in 52)<br />
Female .21 (1 in 470) .40 (1 in 248) .26 (1 in 381) .<strong>56</strong> (1 in 178) 1.30 (1 in 77)<br />
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma Male .14 (1 in 722) .47 (1 in 215) .<strong>56</strong> (1 in 178) 1.57 (1 in 64) 2.18 (1 in 46)<br />
Female .09 (1 in 1158) .31 (1 in 320) .42 (1 in 237) 1.29 (1 in 77) 1.82 (1 in 55)<br />
Prostate Male .01 (1 in 10149) 2.66 (1 in 38) 7.19 (1 in 14) 14.51 (1 in 7) 17.93 (1 in 6)<br />
Uterine cervix Female .15 (1 in 657) .28 (1 in 353) .15 (1 in 671) .22 (1 in 464) .74 (1 in 135)<br />
Uterine corpus Female .06 (1 in 1641) .72 (1 in 139) .83 (1 in 120) 1.36 (1 in 74) 2.61 (1 in 38)<br />
*For those free of cancer at beginning of age interval. Based on cancer cases diagnosed during 2000 to 2002. The “1 in”<br />
statistic <strong>and</strong> the inverse of the percentage may not be equivalent due to rounding.<br />
†All sites excludes basal <strong>and</strong> squamous cell skin cancers <strong>and</strong> in situ cancers except urinary bladder.<br />
Source: DevCan Software, Probability of Developing or Dying of <strong>Cancer</strong> Software, Version 6.0. Statistical Research <strong>and</strong><br />
Applications Branch, National <strong>Cancer</strong> Institute, 2005. http://srab.cancer.gov/devcan.<br />
ferences in comorbidities. The extent to which<br />
these factors, individually or collectively, contribute<br />
to the overall differential survival is unclear.<br />
16 However, recent findings suggest that<br />
African Americans who receive similar cancer<br />
treatment <strong>and</strong> medical care as Whites experience<br />
similar outcomes. 17<br />
There have been notable improvements<br />
over time in relative five-year survival rates<br />
for many cancer sites <strong>and</strong> for all cancers<br />
combined (Table 12). This is true for both<br />
Whites <strong>and</strong> African Americans. However,<br />
5-year relative survival is still very poor (less<br />
than 25%) for many cancers, including pancreas,<br />
liver, esophagus, lung, <strong>and</strong> stomach.<br />
Relative survival rates cannot be calculated<br />
for other racial <strong>and</strong> ethnic populations because<br />
accurate life expectancies are not available.<br />
However, based on cause-specific survival rates<br />
of cancer patients diagnosed from 1992 to 2000<br />
in SEER areas of the United States, all minority<br />
populations, except Asian/Pacific Isl<strong>and</strong>er<br />
women, have a greater probability of dying<br />
from cancer within 5 years of diagnosis than<br />
non-Hispanic Whites after accounting for differences<br />
in age at diagnosis. 18,19 For the four<br />
major cancer sites (prostate, female breast, lung<br />
<strong>and</strong> bronchus, <strong>and</strong> colon <strong>and</strong> rectum), minority<br />
populations are more likely to be diagnosed at<br />
distant stage, compared with non-Hispanic<br />
Whites. 19<br />
<strong>CA</strong>NCER IN CHILDREN<br />
<strong>Cancer</strong> is the second leading cause of death<br />
among children between the ages of 1 <strong>and</strong> 14<br />
years in the United States; accidents are the most<br />
frequent cause of death in this age group (Table<br />
13). The most common cancers in children (0 to<br />
14 years) are leukemia (particularly acute lymphocytic<br />
leukemia), cancer of the brain <strong>and</strong> other<br />
nervous system, soft tissue sarcomas, non-<br />
Hodgkin Lymphoma, <strong>and</strong> renal (Wilms) tumors.<br />
3 Over the past 25 years, there have been<br />
significant improvements in the 5-year relative<br />
survival rate for many childhood cancers (Table<br />
14). The 5-year relative survival rate among children<br />
for all cancer sites combined improved from<br />
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<strong>Cancer</strong> Statistics, <strong>2006</strong><br />
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FIGURE 7 Distribution of Selected <strong>Cancer</strong>s by Race <strong>and</strong> Stage at Diagnosis, US, 1995 to 2001.<br />
*The distribution for localized stage represents localized <strong>and</strong> regional stages combined.<br />
Note: Staging according to Surveillance, Epidemiology, <strong>and</strong> End Results (SEER) historic stage categories rather than the American<br />
Joint Committee on <strong>Cancer</strong> (AJCC) staging system. For each type <strong>and</strong> race, stage categories do not total 100% because sufficient information<br />
is not available to assign a stage to all cancer cases.<br />
Source: Ries LAG, Eisner MP, Kosary Cl. et al. 3<br />
124 <strong>CA</strong> A <strong>Cancer</strong> Journal for <strong>Clin</strong>icians
<strong>CA</strong> <strong>Cancer</strong> J <strong>Clin</strong> <strong>2006</strong>;<strong>56</strong>:<strong>106</strong>–<strong>130</strong><br />
FIGURE 8 Five-year Relative Survival Rates Among Patients Diagnosed with Selected <strong>Cancer</strong>s, by Race <strong>and</strong> Stage at Diagnosis, US,<br />
1995 to 2001.<br />
*Data for distant stage melanoma of the skin for African American is not shown.<br />
†The rate for localized stage represents localized <strong>and</strong> regional stages combined. Note: Staging according to Surveillance, Epidemiology,<br />
<strong>and</strong> End Results (SEER) historic stage categories rather than the American Joint Committee on <strong>Cancer</strong> (AJCC) staging system.<br />
Source: Ries LAG, Eisner MP, Kosary Cl, et al. 3<br />
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Volume <strong>56</strong> Y Number 2 Y March/April <strong>2006</strong> 125
<strong>Cancer</strong> Statistics, <strong>2006</strong><br />
TABLE 12 Trends in Five-year Relative Survival Rates* (%) for Selected <strong>Cancer</strong>s by Race <strong>and</strong> Year of Diagnosis, US,<br />
1974 to 2001.<br />
Site<br />
1974<br />
to<br />
1976<br />
<strong>56</strong>% for patients diagnosed in 1974 to 1976 to<br />
79% for those diagnosed in 1995 to 2001. 3<br />
<strong>CA</strong>NCER AROUND THE WORLD<br />
Relative Five-year Survival Rate (%)<br />
White African American All Races<br />
1983<br />
to<br />
1985<br />
1995<br />
to<br />
2001<br />
1974<br />
to<br />
1976<br />
All sites 51 54 66† 39 40 <strong>56</strong>† 50 53 65†<br />
Brain 22 26 33† 26 32 38† 22 27 33†<br />
Breast (female) 75 79 90† 63 64 76† 75 78 88†<br />
Colon 51 58 65† 46 49 55† 50 58 64†<br />
Esophagus 5 9 16† 4 6 10† 5 8 15†<br />
Hodgkin lymphoma 72 79 86† 69 78 80† 71 79 85†<br />
Kidney 52 <strong>56</strong> 65† 49 55 64† 52 <strong>56</strong> 65†<br />
Larynx 66 68 68 60 55 51 66 67 66<br />
Leukemia 35 42 49† 31 34 38 34 41 48†<br />
Liver & bile duct 4 6 9† 1 4 5† 4 6 9†<br />
Lung & bronchus 13 14 16† 11 11 13† 12 14 15†<br />
Melanoma of the skin 81 85 92† 67‡ 74§ 76‡ 80 85 92†<br />
Multiple myeloma 24 27 32† 28 31 33 25 28 32†<br />
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 48 54 61† 48 45 52 47 54 60†<br />
Oral cavity 55 <strong>56</strong> 62† 36 35 40 54 54 59†<br />
Ovary 37 40 44† 41 42 38 37 41 45†<br />
Pancreas 3 3 4† 3 5 4† 3 3 5†<br />
Prostate 68 76 100† 58 64 97† 67 75 100†<br />
Rectum 49 <strong>56</strong> 65† 42 44 <strong>56</strong>† 49 55 65†<br />
Stomach 15 16 21† 16 19 23† 15 17 23†<br />
Testis 79 91 96† 76‡ 88‡ 88 79 91 96†<br />
Thyroid 92 93 97† 88 91 95 92 93 97†<br />
Urinary bladder 74 78 83† 48 60 64† 73 78 82†<br />
Uterine cervix 70 71 75† 64 61 66 69 69 73†<br />
Uterine corpus 89 85 86† 62 55 62 88 83 84†<br />
*Survival rates are adjusted for normal life expectancy <strong>and</strong> are based on cases diagnosed from 1974 to 1976, 1983 to 1985, <strong>and</strong> 1995 to 2001,<br />
<strong>and</strong> followed through 2002.<br />
†The difference in rates between 1974 to 1976 <strong>and</strong> 1995 to 2001 is statistically significant (P0.05).<br />
‡The st<strong>and</strong>ard error of the survival rate is between 5 <strong>and</strong> 10 percentage points.<br />
§The st<strong>and</strong>ard error of the survival rate is greater than 10 percentage points.<br />
Recent changes in classification of ovarian cancer, namely excluding borderline tumors, have affected 1995 to 2001 survival rates.<br />
Source: Ries LAG, Eisner MP, Kosary CL, et al. 3<br />
Table 15 provides cancer death rates for 50<br />
selected countries around the world for all sites<br />
combined <strong>and</strong> for 9 major sites, by sex. The<br />
highest lung cancer death rates are found in<br />
Hungary for men <strong>and</strong> in Denmark for<br />
women. China has the highest mortality rate<br />
for liver cancer in both men <strong>and</strong> women,<br />
1983<br />
to<br />
1985<br />
1995<br />
to<br />
2001<br />
1974<br />
to<br />
1976<br />
1983<br />
to<br />
1985<br />
reflecting the high prevalence of Hepatitis B<br />
virus in that country. The death rate for<br />
cervical cancer in Zimbabwe (43.1 per<br />
100,000) is about 20 times that in the United<br />
States (2.3 per 100,000) <strong>and</strong> more than 25<br />
times the rate in Australia (1.7 per 100,000).<br />
LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE CHALLENGES<br />
1995<br />
to<br />
2001<br />
Estimates of the expected numbers of new<br />
cancer cases <strong>and</strong> cancer deaths should be interpreted<br />
cautiously. These estimates may vary<br />
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TABLE 13 Fifteen Leading Causes of Death Among Children Ages 1 to 14, United States, 2003<br />
* Rates are per 100,000 population <strong>and</strong> age-adjusted to the 2000 US st<strong>and</strong>ard population.<br />
Note: Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding. Symptoms, signs, <strong>and</strong> abnormalities, events of undetermined intent,<br />
certain perinatal conditions, <strong>and</strong> pneumonitis due to solids <strong>and</strong> liquids were excluded from ranking order.<br />
Source: US Mortality Public Use Data Tape, 2003, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control <strong>and</strong><br />
Prevention, <strong>2006</strong>.<br />
TABLE 14 Trends in Five-year Relative <strong>Cancer</strong> Survival Rates* (%) for Children Under Age 15, US, 1974<br />
to 2001<br />
Five-year Relative Survival Rates (%)<br />
Year of Diagnosis<br />
Site<br />
1974<br />
to<br />
1976<br />
1977<br />
to<br />
1979<br />
1980<br />
to<br />
1982<br />
1983<br />
to<br />
1985<br />
1986<br />
to<br />
1988<br />
1989<br />
to<br />
1991<br />
1995<br />
to<br />
2001<br />
All sites <strong>56</strong> 62 65 68 71 74 79†<br />
Acute lymphocytic leukemia 53 68 71 69 78 80 86†<br />
Acute myeloid leukemia 14 27‡ 25‡ 29‡ 33‡ 37 52†<br />
Bones & joints 55‡ 53‡ 54‡ 57‡ 63‡ 62 71†<br />
Brain & other nervous system 55 <strong>56</strong> <strong>56</strong> 62 63 63 73†<br />
Hodgkin disease 78 83 91 90 90 94 95†<br />
Neuroblastoma 53 53 53 55 60 68 66†<br />
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 45 50 61 71 70 75 86†<br />
Soft tissue 61 68 65 76 67 78 73†<br />
Wilms’ tumor 74 78 86 87 91 93 92†<br />
*Survival rates are adjusted for normal life expectancy <strong>and</strong> are based on follow-up of patients through 2002.<br />
†The difference in rates between 1974 to 1976 <strong>and</strong> 1995 to 2001 is statistically significant (P 0.05).<br />
‡The st<strong>and</strong>ard error of the survival rate is between 5 <strong>and</strong> 10 percentage points.<br />
Note: “All sites” excludes basal <strong>and</strong> squamous cell skin cancers <strong>and</strong> in situ carcinomas except urinary bladder.<br />
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Volume <strong>56</strong> Y Number 2 Y March/April <strong>2006</strong> 127
<strong>Cancer</strong> Statistics, <strong>2006</strong><br />
TABLE 15 <strong>Cancer</strong> Around the World, 2002, Death Rates* Per 100,000 Population for 50 Countries<br />
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<strong>CA</strong> <strong>Cancer</strong> J <strong>Clin</strong> <strong>2006</strong>;<strong>56</strong>:<strong>106</strong>–<strong>130</strong><br />
Note: Figures in parentheses are rank order within site <strong>and</strong> gender group.<br />
*Rates are age-adjusted to the World Health Organization world st<strong>and</strong>ard population.<br />
Source: Ferlay J, Bray F, Pisani P, Parkin DM. GLOBO<strong>CA</strong>N 2002: <strong>Cancer</strong> Incidence, Mortality, <strong>and</strong> Prevalence Worldwide IARC <strong>Cancer</strong>Base No. 5, version 2.0. IARC Press, Lyon, 2004.<br />
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<strong>Cancer</strong> Statistics, <strong>2006</strong><br />
REFERENCES<br />
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National <strong>Cancer</strong> Institute, DCCPS, Surveillance<br />
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incidence rates for the geographic locations that<br />
participate in the SEER program <strong>and</strong>, therefore,<br />
may not be representative of the entire United<br />
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these estimates to track year-to-year changes in<br />
cancer occurrence <strong>and</strong> death. Age-st<strong>and</strong>ardized<br />
or age-specific cancer death rates from the National<br />
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sources for tracking cancer trends, even though<br />
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the time that they become available. Despite their<br />
limitations, the American <strong>Cancer</strong> Society estimates<br />
of the number of new cancer cases <strong>and</strong><br />
deaths in the current year provide reasonably<br />
accurate estimates of the burden of new cancer<br />
cases <strong>and</strong> deaths in the United States. Such estimates<br />
will assist in continuing efforts to reduce<br />
the public health burden of cancer.<br />
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