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The Burden of Cancer
Deaths and New Cases Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. According to United States Cancer Statistics: 2002 Incidence and Mortality, which includes incidence data for about 93% of the U.S. population and mortality data for the entire country, more than 557,000 Americans died of cancer in 2002. More than 1.24 million Americans had a diagnosis of cancer that year. This total does not include preinvasive cancer (except for urinary bladder cancer) or about 1 million cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer diagnosed in 2002.
Cancer does not affect all races equally. African Americans are more likely to die of cancer than people of any other racial or ethnic group. In 2002, the average annual death rate per 100,000 people for all types of cancer combined was 240 for African Americans, 192 for white Americans, 130 for Hispanic Americans, 128 for American Indians/Alaska Natives, and 114 for Asians/Pacific Islanders.
The financial costs of cancer are overwhelming. According to the National Institutes of Health, cancers cost the United States an estimated $210 billion in 2005. This amount included $74 billion in direct medical costs and nearly $136 billion in lost productivity.
The number of new cancer cases can be reduced, and many cancer deaths can be prevented. Adopting a healthier lifestyle—for example, avoiding tobacco use, increasing physical activity, achieving optimal weight, improving nutrition, and avoiding sun exposure—can significantly reduce a person’s risk for cancer. Making cancer screening, information, and referral services available and accessible to all Americans is also essential for reducing the high rates of cancer and cancer deaths. Screening tests for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers reduce the number of deaths from these diseases by finding them early, when they are most treatable. Screening tests for cervical and colorectal cancers may actually prevent these cancers from developing by detecting treatable precancerous conditions.
Rates of Death Due to Cancer, 2002* 144.4–184.3 185.6–197.0 197.6–204.5 205.1–230.9 *Deaths
per 100,000, age adjusted to 2000 total U.S. population. Data are grouped
in quartiles.
CDC is committed to ensuring that all people, especially those at greater risk for health disparities, will achieve their optimal lifespan with the best possible quality of health in every stage of life. With new health protection goals that support healthy people in healthy places across all life stages, CDC is setting the agenda to enable people to enjoy a healthy life by delaying death and the onset of illness and disability by accelerating improvements in public health. With fiscal year 2006 funding of more than $412.6 million ($307.9 million for cancer prevention and control activities and nearly $104.8 million to address smoking and health issues), CDC provides national leadership for preventing cancer and promoting its early detection. CDC also works with its partners to carry out a variety of activities. For example, CDC: * Provides funding and technical assistance to help
states, territories, and tribes collect data on cancer incidence and deaths,
cancer-related risk factors, and the use of cancer screening tests. CDC’s Cancer Programs CDC takes a comprehensive, broad-based approach to preventing and controlling cancer, as the following programs and initiatives demonstrate. Through several colorectal cancer prevention and control initiatives, CDC and its partners are promoting colorectal cancer screening nationwide by supporting education and research programs, including studies to determine barriers to colorectal cancer screening. For example, the Screen for Life campaign addresses common myths about colorectal cancer screening and educates Americans that screening saves lives by finding precancerous polyps and detecting cancer early. CDC also is funding a 3-year demonstration program to learn how best to implement colorectal cancer screening at the community level. This program is aimed at increasing colorectal cancer screening among low-income adults aged 50 or older who have little or no health insurance coverage for regular screenings. The National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) collects data on the occurrence of cancer; the type, extent, and location of the cancer; and the type of initial treatment. Data collected by state cancer registries enable public health professionals to better understand and address the nation’s cancer burden. To provide high-quality data on cancer and cancer care, CDC supports registries in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and 3 U.S. territories. The NPCR and the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program collaborate to publish annual cancer incidence and death data in the United States Cancer Statistics: Incidence and Mortality reports. The National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program funds states, territories, and tribes to establish coalitions, assess the burden of cancer, determine priorities, and develop and implement comprehensive cancer control (CCC) programs. These programs help communities across the nation to reduce cancer risk, detect cancers earlier, improve cancer treatment, and enhance quality of life for cancer survivors. In fiscal year 2005, CDC provided support for building CCC programs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, 6 tribes and tribal groups, and 6 U.S.-associated Pacific Islands/territories. The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program has provided over 5.8 million breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic exams to over 2.5 million low-income women with little or no health insurance since 1991. The program also supports education and outreach activities, case management services, and research to increase screening rates. CDC supports early detection programs in all 50 states, 4 U.S. territories, the District of Columbia, and 13 tribal groups. Through prostate cancer control initiatives, CDC provides the public, physicians, and policy makers with the information they need to make informed decisions about the potential risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening. CDC materials include two versions of Prostate Cancer Screening: A Decision Guide —one for all men who are considering prostate cancer screening and the other specifically for African American men. CDC also has developed a slide presentation called Screening for Prostate Cancer: Sharing the Decision that gives primary care physicians information about the potential benefits and risks of screening. Through the skin cancer primary prevention and education initiative, CDC supports skin cancer monitoring, research, education, and interventions. CDC published the Guidelines for School Programs to Prevent Skin Cancer to spread the word about strategies that have reduced skin cancer risks among students aged 5–18. In addition, CDC is working with state and local education agencies and other partners to put these strategies into practice in Colorado, Michigan, and North Carolina schools. Through its ovarian cancer control initiative, CDC is working with academic and medical institutions and advocacy groups to identify factors related to the early detection and treatment of ovarian cancer, about which little is known. Three cancer registry programs also receive NPCR funds to evaluate care and outcomes for patients with ovarian cancer. Through its Tobacco Control Program, CDC provides national
leadership for comprehensive efforts to reduce tobacco use through state
and community interventions, countermarketing, policy development, surveillance,
and evaluation. In addition, CDC supports tobacco prevention and control
efforts in all 50 states, 7 U.S. territories, 7 tribal groups, 6 national
networks (beginning in May 2006), and the District of Columbia. CDC will continue to collaborate internally and externally with partners, policy makers, and other individuals and groups working to ease the burden of cancer in the United States and abroad. To support these efforts, CDC has developed a promotional tool kit designed to increase awareness about comprehensive cancer control (CCC) programs. This tool kit will help CCC programs describe the benefits of collaboration clearly, simply, and with one voice. It also will highlight how CCC programs contribute to reducing cancer risk, detecting cancers earlier, improving access to treatment, and enhancing survivorship and quality of life for cancer patients.
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