United States: A considerable portion, approximately 40%, of the American population, will inevitably confront a diagnosis of cancer during their lifespan — albeit specific varieties exhibit a higher prevalence, as indicated by statistics.
USAFacts, an organization headquartered in Washington, dedicated to compiling and analyzing governmental data, conducted an exhaustive examination of the most recent cancer statistics to discern patterns — subsequently, disseminating their findings to Fox News Digital.
Out of the 1.96 million novel instances of cancer documented in 2023, half comprised five predominant types: breast cancer (15%), prostate, pulmonary, and bronchial cancer (12%), barium, and colorectal cancer (8%), and 50% of the shell of the other kinds.
However, the fact that in the year 2023, 587 471 deaths are caused by lung cancer, among others, including myeloma (21%), colon and rectum cancer (9%), pancreatic cancer (8%), and breast cancer (7%), doctors still have a hard time choosing the best treatment and the one that is applicable to a specific patient, i.e., personalized
The remaining 55% of mortalities were linked to alternative forms of cancer.
Despite the rising number of cases due to the high riddle of death rates among the indisposed population, there has been a steady decline in the number of individuals ailing from cancer and those dying of it.
“Between 2000 and 2019, the incidence rate of cancer (fresh diagnoses per 100,000 individuals) marked 5.4% reduction, while the yearly mortality rate experienced a 26% decrease —- these are the numbers the report offered,” the latter outlined.
“It this way the disease could be stopped in its early stages, which will result in lower numbers of deaths,” concluded Brett Osborn, a leading neurologist from Florida, who rose to fame due to his research on longevity and health care, in his interview to the network.
Though not directly involved in the report, Osborn offered commentary on its revelations.
Outlined below are five noteworthy observations.
1. Gender-specific vulnerability
However, according to the statistics of 2019, men stand at a 15.4% higher risk of being diagnosed with new cases and a 37.5% greater risk of passing away from cancer than their female counterparts.
However, this gap has statistically recorded the most marked difference in 200 decades, when the rate for females was rather lower than that of the males by over 37%.
For males, the most common types are prostatic, respiratory, and colorectal cancers, among the most prevalent forms, as showcased in the USA Facts report.
The percentages of new cancer cases and cancer mortalities among men related to these categories were 50.8% and 45.9%, respectively, in 2023.
On the other hand, the general variations illustrate mammary glands, lung tissues, and colon.
These three types of cancers collectively contribute to 54.6% of new cancer cases and 50.1% of cancer-related deaths visualized in the year 2023 for females.
2. Prevalence of cancer varies between ethnic groups.
Among all the racial groups, the Cambor white Americans showed the highest rate of incident fresh cancer diagnoses, of which non-Hispanic Color black Americans ranked second, according to the report.
Nevertheless, when existential terms of cancer cases are considered, non-Hispanic Black people are the highest-risk people.
Similarly, non-Asian/Pacific Islander Hispanics, as an overwhelming group, are the least likely to get a cancer diagnosis and die from the disease compared to every other racial group.
In the period from 2000 to 2019, the statistics on incident cancerous tumors have dropped for all groups, except American Indian/Alaska Native people, who opened up a nearly 35% surge in diagnosis of such ailments.
“Finding out the responsive elements of these dissimilarities still remains challenging; mythical factors may include imbalances in healthcare, environment, selection of lifestyles, and genetic association,” the report reportedly asserts.
3. Cancer survival metrics
The change in the 5-year cancer survival rate from 63.5% in 2000 to 68.4% in 2015 is an incredible advancement. Steady progress can be observed in this survival rate in years to come.
Osborn suggests that the observed progression is entirely the result of increased awareness, expanded detection strategies, and unparallel development in treatment.
Survival rates after getting a cancer diagnosis differ based on cancer type.
Cancer patients that showed the highest five-year survival rates were in the following categories: carcinoma of a thyroid, carcinoma of a prostate, carcinoma of a testicle, skin carcinoma, and breast carcinoma.
“The magazine report also adds that the previously discussed cancer deaths mortality in 2023 do not reflect the five-year survival ratio spanning 2015-2020 since the fatalities might result from the cancer cases outside this five-year period,” the report stipulates.
4. Average age at onset of neoplasia.
From the report, it has been concluded that age is the most powerful risk factor for the prediction of cancer.
The mean age at the time of receiving a cancer diagnosis is 66 years in comparison to the mean age of dying from cancer is 72 years, according to the Research Data Compiled by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) from 2016 to 2020.
Besides, the condition can show up both at any age, therefor medical checking programs are required to minimize the mortality rates.
5. Significance of guarding against ‘complacency’
Despite the strides made in diminishing cancer incidence and mortality rates, Osborn issues a caution against succumbing to complacency.
“As per the 2024 data from the American Cancer Society, the incidence of six of the most prevalent cancers — particularly those associated with excess body weight, such as endometrial, hepatic, renal, pancreatic, colorectal, and mammary gland cancers — are witnessing an uptick and may impede the declining mortality rate in the future,” he alerts.
Osborn attributes the surge in obesity rates in the U.S. as a direct catalyst for cancer incidence.
“The prevalence of obesity, affecting more than two in five adults (42.4%), serves as a harbinger for cancer — as revealed by recent data from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases,” Osborn contends.
“One can only hope that we are not on a trajectory leading in the wrong direction.”
“Unless concerted efforts are made to reverse the tide and address the obesity epidemic, the observed reduction in the annual rate of new cancer cases and associated mortality will decelerate and potentially be nullified,” he concludes.
USAFacts compiled its comprehensive report utilizing data sourced from the NCI, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).