Showing papers by "Ahmedin Jemal published in 2010"

Cancer statistics, 2010

Abstract: Each year, the American Cancer Society estimates the number of new cancer cases and deaths expected in the United States in the current year and compiles the most recent data regarding cancer incidence, mortality, and survival based on incidence data from the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries and mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Incidence and death rates are age-standardized to the 2000 US standard million population. A total of 1,529,560 new cancer cases and 569,490 deaths from cancer are projected to occur in the United States in 2010. Overall cancer incidence rates decreased in the most recent time period in both men (1.3% per year from 2000 to 2006) and women (0.5% per year from 1998 to 2006), largely due to decreases in the 3 major cancer sites in men (lung, prostate, and colon and rectum [colorectum]) and 2 major cancer sites in women (breast and colorectum). This decrease occurred in all racial/ethnic groups in both men and women with the exception of American Indian/Alaska Native women, in whom rates were stable. Among men, death rates for all races combined decreased by 21.0% between 1990 and 2006, with decreases in lung, prostate, and colorectal cancer rates accounting for nearly 80% of the total decrease. Among women, overall cancer death rates between 1991 and 2006 decreased by 12.3%, with decreases in breast and colorectal cancer rates accounting for 60% of the total decrease. The reduction in the overall cancer death rates translates to the avoidance of approximately 767,000 deaths from cancer over the 16-year period. This report also examines cancer incidence, mortality, and survival by site, sex, race/ethnicity, geographic area, and calendar year. Although progress has been made in reducing incidence and mortality rates and improving survival, cancer still accounts for more deaths than heart disease in persons younger than 85 years. Further progress can be accelerated by applying existing cancer control knowledge across all segments of the population and by supporting new discoveries in cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment. CA Cancer J Clin 2010;60:277-300. © 2010 American Cancer Society, Inc.

Global Patterns of Cancer Incidence and Mortality Rates and Trends

Abstract: While incidence and mortality rates for most cancers (including lung, colorectum, female breast, and prostate) are decreasing in the United States and many other western countries, they are increasing in several less developed and economically transitioning countries because of adoption of unhealthy western lifestyles such as smoking and physical inactivity and consumption of calorie-dense food. Indeed, the rates for lung and colon cancers in a few of these countries have already surpassed those in the United States and other western countries. Most developing countries also continue to be disproportionately affected by cancers related to infectious agents, such as cervix, liver, and stomach cancers. The proportion of new cancer cases diagnosed in less developed countries is projected to increase from about 56% of the world total in 2008 to more than 60% in 2030 because of the increasing trends in cancer rates and expected increases in life expectancy and growth of the population. In this review, we describe these changing global incidence and mortality patterns for select common cancers and the opportunities for cancer prevention in developing countries.

Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2006, Featuring Colorectal Cancer Trends and Impact of Interventions (Risk Factors, Screening, and Treatment) to Reduce Future Rates

Abstract: BACKGROUND. The American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) collaborate annually to provide updated information regarding cancer occurrence and trends in the United States. This year's report includes trends in colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and death rates and highlights the use of microsimulation modeling as a tool for interpreting past trends and projecting future trends to assist in cancer control planning and policy decisions. METHODS. Information regarding invasive cancers was obtained from the NCI, CDC, and NAACCR; and information on deaths was obtained from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. Annual percentage changes in the age-standardized incidence and death rates (based on the year 2000 US population standard) for all cancers combined and for the top 15 cancers were estimated by joinpoint analysis of long-term trends (1975-2006) and for short-term fixed-interval trends (1997-2006). All statistical tests were 2-sided. RESULTS. Both incidence and death rates from all cancers combined significantly declined (P < .05) in the most recent time period for men and women overall and for most racial and ethnic populations. These decreases were driven largely by declines in both incidence and death rates for the 3 most common cancers in men (ie, lung and prostate cancers and CRC) and for 2 of the 3 leading cancers in women (ie, breast cancer and CRC). The long-term trends for lung cancer mortality in women had smaller and smaller increases until 2003, when there was a change to a nonsignificant decline. Microsimulation modeling demonstrates that declines in CRC death rates are consistent with a relatively large contribution from screening and with a smaller but demonstrable impact of risk factor reductions and improved treatments. These declines are projected to continue if risk factor modification, screening, and treatment remain at current rates, but they could be accelerated further with favorable trends in risk factors and higher utilization of screening and optimal treatment. CONCLUSIONS. Although the decrease in overall cancer incidence and death rates is encouraging, rising incidence and mortality for some cancers are of concern.

The global burden of cancer: priorities for prevention.

Abstract: Despite decreases in the cancer death rates in high-resource countries, such as the USA, the number of cancer cases and deaths is projected to more than double worldwide over the next 20-40 years. Cancer is now the third leading cause of death, with >12 million new cases and 7.6 million cancer deaths estimated to have occurred globally in 2007. By 2030, it is projected that there will be approximately 26 million new cancer cases and 17 million cancer deaths per year. The projected increase will be driven largely by growth and aging of populations and will be largest in low- and medium-resource countries. Under current trends, increased longevity in developing countries will nearly triple the number of people who survive to age 65 by 2050. This demographic shift is compounded by the entrenchment of modifiable risk factors such as smoking and obesity in many low-and medium-resource countries and by the slower decline in cancers related to chronic infections (especially stomach, liver and uterine cervix) in economically developing than in industrialized countries. This paper identifies several preventive measures that offer the most feasible approach to mitigate the anticipated global increase in cancer in countries that can least afford it. Foremost among these are the need to strengthen efforts in international tobacco control and to increase the availability of vaccines against hepatitis B and human papilloma virus in countries where they are most needed.

Declining death rates reflect progress against cancer.

Abstract: Background The success of the “war on cancer” initiated in 1971 continues to be debated, with trends in cancer mortality variably presented as evidence of progress or failure. We examined temporal trends in death rates from all-cancer and the 19 most common cancers in the United States from 1970–2006.

Disparities in breast cancer prognostic factors by race, insurance status, and education

Abstract: Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage and other less favorable breast cancer prognostic factors than white women. The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which markers of socioeconomic position accounts for black-white differences in these factors. Our study included 193,969 women diagnosed with invasive breast cancers during 2004-2005 from the National Cancer Database, which represents about 72% of all patients with cancer treated in the United States. Compared to white women, black women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast tumors that are less differentiated (odds ratio (OR) = 2.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.44-2.66), hormone receptor negative (OR = 2.29, 95% CI 2.22-2.37), large (OR = 1.87, 95% CI 1.80-1.95), metastatic (OR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.78-2.00), and lymph node-positive (OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.40-1.48). In multivariable analyses, adjustment for insurance and area-level educational attainment explained 31-39% of the differences in tumor size and metastasis, but only about 14% of the differences in grade and hormone receptors. After accounting for race and other covariates, uninsured women remained 3.66 (95% CI 3.30-4.07) times more likely to have metastasis and 2.37 (95% CI 2.17-2.58) times more likely to have large tumors compared to privately insured women. Similarly, the risk of having breast cancer with less favorable prognostic factors increased as area-level educational attainment decreased. Extending health insurance coverage to all women is likely to have an effect on reducing racial disparities in the development of breast cancers with poor prognostic factors.

Association of Insurance and Race/Ethnicity with Disease Severity among Men Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer, National Cancer Database 2004-2006

Abstract: Background: Previous studies documenting variations in severity of prostate cancer at diagnosis by race/ethnicity and insurance status have been limited to small sample sizes and patients ≥65 years of age. This study examines disease severity among patients ages 18 to 99 from the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Methods: Patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2006 with prostate cancer were selected from the NCDB ( n = 312,339). We evaluated the association among three disease severity measures: prostate specific antigen (PSA) level, Gleason score 8 to 10, and clinical T-stage 3/4, by race/ethnicity and insurance while adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical factors. Results: Uninsured and Medicaid-insured patients had elevated PSA levels, higher odds of advanced Gleason score [uninsured odds ratio (OR), 1.97; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.82-2.12; Medicaid OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.55-1.79], and advanced clinical T stage (uninsured OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.69-2.03; Medicaid OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.35-1.63) compared with privately insured patients. Black (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.15-1.23), Hispanic (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.10-1.23), and Asian patients (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.24-1.43) had higher odds of advanced Gleason score and similar odds of advanced stage of disease relative to whites. Conclusion: Insurance status is strongly associated with disease severity among prostate cancer patients. Impact: Strong associations between insurance and disease severity may be related to lack of access to preventive services such as PSA screening and barriers to medical evaluation. Although the risks and benefits of PSA screening have not been fully elucidated, it is important that all men have the opportunity to be informed about this option and preventative medical services. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(10); 2437–44. ©2010 AACR.

Cutaneous Melanoma Incidence and Survival Among Black, Asian and Pacific Islander and White Populations in the United States

Abstract: Cutaneous melanoma incidence and survival among U.S. blacks, Asian-Pacific Islanders (API) and whites were examined. Frequency distributions and age-adjusted incidence rates (cases per 100,000) by race, sex, anatomic subsite, histology and stage (frequency distribution only) and age-specific incidence rates were calculated for primary invasive cutaneous melanoma diagnosed in 1995–2001 from 36 U.S. population-based cancer registries (n = 138,725). Rate ratios with 95% confidence intervals comparing anatomic subsite and histology rates among APIs and blacks with whites were calculated. Five-year cause-specific survival rates by sex, race and histology were calculated using data from 17 Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registries. API and black incidence rates were lower than the white rate for males (2.1 and 1.2, respectively, versus 20.6) and females (1.6 and 0.9 versus 13.6). Within each sex-race group, incidence rates generally increased with age; the increase was greatest for white males. Rate ratios for anatomic subsites and histologies were statistically significantly low, except black male and female and API male rate ratios for acral lentiginous histology. Five-year cause-specific survival rates were lowest for black males and females (77%), followed by API males (79%) and API females (84%). Further elucidation of risk factors for cutaneous melanoma in blacks and APIs and for the acral lentiginous histology in all races could assist in the design of measures to prevent and detect cutaneous melanoma.