Colorectal Cancer Shows Steepest Decline

October 15, 2007 (Washington, DC) - Cancer may remain the second leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease, causing an expected 559,650 deaths this year, but a recent collaborative report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries shows that these numbers are declining.

The study, which used statistical methods to study cancer death rates and incidences from 1975-2004, showed an overall decrease cancer death rates of 1.1 percent a year since 1993. Even better, from 2002-2004 the decrease went up to 2.1 percent.

With a 90 percent cure rate when detected early, and a huge push by leading organizations over the past several years to focus public attention on preventative screenings, it is not surprising that colorectal cancer accounted for one of the largest drops, seeing a 4.7 percent decrease in death rates from 2002-2004. The drop, which was mainly attributed to the increase in preventative screening tests such as colonoscopies, really highlights the importance of these measures, but also points to just how far we have to go.

In spite of improvements, findings from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention indicate that less than 50 percent of Americans undergo preventative screenings for colorectal cancer as recommended by approved medical guidelines.

Another problem that the report pointed to was the difference in death rates of certain populations, most notably Native Americans and Alaska Natives. Colorectal cancer incidence, for instance, was three or more times higher in Alaska and the northern plains than in the Southwest. Researchers attribute this problem to poverty, lower education levels and lack of insurance and access to medical care.

This lack of access to medical care among certain populations is a major obstacle to reducing death rates, says the American Cancer Society, who recently began an advertising campaign to publicize the problem. Dr. Patricia Ganz, director of cancer prevention and control research at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA echoed these sentiments, saying "Access to care truly is the message. When people have equal access to care, they have equal outcomes."

Please click here to view the full report.

Click here to see NCCRA Co-founder Katie Couric’s coverage of this story on the CBS Evening News.