Member-only story
In 2020, Our Good News Is About Cancer
New statistics show that the death rate for several leading cancers is not only continuing to decline, it’s dropping at an accelerated pace
It might seem rare that oncologists have good news to share. However, researchers say a report released Wednesday offers the field more hope than ever. Annual statistics from the American Cancer Society show new treatments for lung cancer and melanoma have contributed to the largest single-year drop in the United States’ cancer death rate. From 2016 to 2017 (the most recent years recorded), the cancer death rate declined by 2.2%, continuing the country’s downward trend of 29% since 1991.
“This is really important and really exciting,” says Lauren Averett Byers, associate professor of thoracic head and neck medical oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center. “We’re actually seeing an acceleration — especially among some of the most aggressive cancers, like lung cancer — in progress and meaningful change, in terms of how many patients with advanced disease are surviving and living longer.”
Over the past several decades, the U.S. has made significant progress in lowering cancer rates. Thanks to advances in treatment and prevention, 2.9 million deaths have been avoided since cancer death rates peaked in 1991, according to the report. Researchers say this decline was driven in part by long-term improvements in treating and preventing the four leading cancers: lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate. Advancements in treatment, such as immunotherapy, are responsible for some of the most dramatic declines.
Lung cancer, specifically, drove the latest decrease in mortality, although it remains the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. This is largely because lung cancer cases have declined with changing smoking patterns and advances in early detection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette use — responsible for about one-third of cancer deaths in the country — reached the lowest levels ever recorded among U.S. adults in 2017.
With vaping on the rise, some experts are concerned these gains might be reversed among young adults. Researchers are still studying how the cancer-causing chemicals in e-cigarettes…
