The latest report from the American Cancer Society reveals a significant reduction in the number of deaths caused by cancer. The report says the rate of people dying from cancer in the United States has decreased significantly by over 33% in the past three decades since 1991. The achievement in the death rate could help save an estimated 3.8 million lives over the decades. Even in the most recent year for which data is available, between 2019 and 2020, it shows a 1.5% reduction in the death rate of cancer patients. Karen Knudsen, the CEO of the American Cancer Society, described the 33% decline in cancer mortality as “truly appreciable.”
The report accredits this over-decade improvement in the cancer death rate to continuous progress to advancements in cancer treatment, a decrease in smoking, and an increase in early detection of cancer. Knudsen stated, “New inventions for prevention, early detection, and treatment have resulted in true, meaningful advancements in many of the 200 diseases that we call cancer.”
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The report by the American Cancer Society further states HPV vaccinations were the seminal factor in significantly reducing cancer deaths. HPV, or human papillomavirus, is known to cause cervical cancer and other types of cancer. The report claims that vaccination is responsible for a decrease in new cervical cancer cases, with a 65% drop in cervical cancer rates among women in their early 20s observed between 2012 and 2019, which is believed to be a direct result of the use of HPV vaccines.
Dr. William Dahut, the society’s chief scientific officer, stated that there is hope that the efficiency of HPV vaccinations will extend beyond cervical cancer. He added that the vaccination could also prevent other types of cancer, such as head and neck cancers or anal cancers, which are related to HPV.
The report also estimates that the lifetime probability of being diagnosed with any invasive cancer is 40.9% for men and 39.1% for women in the US. Additionally, the report includes projections for 2023, which estimate that there could be almost 2 million new cancer cases, equivalent to around 5,000 cases per day, and over 600,000 cancer deaths in the United States this year.
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It is important to note that during the outburst of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a significant number of people who could not attend their regular medical check-ups. The severe lockdown and travel restrictions have resulted in an increase in advanced cancer cases due to delayed screenings and treatment.
The researchers at the American Cancer Society were unable to accurately measure the extent of the reduction in screening across the country during the pandemic. However, they anticipate that their report in the coming year will provide a clearer understanding of the impact of the pandemic on cancer incidence and mortality rates.
