Summary of the American Cancer Society Study on Cancer Mortality in People Under 50
Here’s a breakdown of the key findings from the American Cancer Society study, as presented in the provided text:
Overall Trend:
* Significant Decrease: Overall cancer mortality in people under 50 in the US has decreased by 44% between 1990 and 2023 (from 25.5 to 14.2 per 100,000).
* 1.27 Million Deaths: 1,267,520 people died from cancer before age 50 in the US between 1990 and 2023.
Positive Trends (Declining Cancer Deaths):
* Mortality rates decreased for four of the five leading causes of cancer death in this age group:
* Breast Cancer (average annual decline of 1.4% from 2014-2023)
* Lung Cancer (average annual decline of 5.7% from 2014-2023)
* Brain Cancer (average annual decline of 0.3% from 2014-2023)
* leukemia (average annual decline of 2.3% from 2014-2023)
* Lung cancer and leukemia have dropped in ranking as leading causes of death.
Concerning Trend (Increasing Cancer Deaths):
* Colorectal Cancer Rise: Mortality from colorectal cancer is increasing by 1.1% per year sence 2005.
* Shift in Ranking: Colorectal cancer has risen from the fifth most common cancer death in the early 1990s to the first in 2023 for those under 50.
* Advanced Diagnosis: Three out of four people under 50 are diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer.
* “Not an Old Person’s Disease”: Researchers emphasize that colorectal cancer is no longer primarily a disease of older adults.
Key Quotes & Calls to Action:
* Rebecca Siegel (Lead Author): Highlights the alarming rise in colorectal cancer compared to declines in other cancers and stresses the need for symptom awareness, destigmatization, and increased screening.
* Ahmedin Jemal (Senior Author): Calls for increased research to understand the drivers of the colorectal cancer increase and emphasizes the importance of screening for those aged 45-49 (who represent 50% of diagnoses in this age group).
* Lisa A. Lacasse (ACS CAN President): Emphasizes the importance of maintaining and expanding access to prevention and screening services, warning against cuts to these programs.
Study Methodology:
* Analyzed data from 1990-2023 on cancer deaths in people aged 0-49 in the US.
* Used data from the National Center for Health Statistics and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program.
Source: Siegel et al, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).