USA – Death rates attributable to cancer in the United States have decreased steadily owing to the strides that have been made in cancer treatments, diagnostic tools, and prevention strategies, according to a report published by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

According to the group’s annual Cancer Progress Report, over the past two decades, cancer death rates have been falling, especially in recent years.

In the past three years, the number of cancer survivors in the US – defined as living people who have had a cancer diagnosis – increased by more than a million.

For all cancers combined, the five-year overall survival rate has increased from 49% in the mid-1970s to nearly 70% from 2011 to 2017, the most recent years for which data is available.

The overall cancer death rate, which stands at 32%, adjusted for age continues to drop with reductions between 1991 and 2019 translating into nearly 3.5 million deaths avoided, the association said.

There are now more than 18 million cancer survivors in the US, up from 3 million in 1971. This can be attributed to a number of things including President Joe Biden’s relaunch of his “Cancer Moonshot” initiative this year, the growing use of immunotherapies, declines in smoking, and routine screening to catch cancers early.

Dr. Lisa Coussens, president of the association, said in a statement that part of the credit goes to an investment in research – both for treatments and for understanding the disease.

“Targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and other new therapeutic approaches being applied clinically all stem from fundamental discoveries in basic science,” she said.

“Investment in cancer science, as well as support for science education at all levels, is absolutely essential to drive the next wave of discoveries and accelerate progress.”

Ongoing challenges in fight against cancer

But there are also ongoing challenges such as health disparities that affect racial and ethnic minorities and barriers to health care such as limited health insurance coverage and living in rural areas.

Providing equal access to cancer screenings still remains a key hurdle in cancer care. African-Americans still have the highest death rate and shortest survival rate for most cancers of any racial or ethnic group.

Often, new cancer therapies are only available at specialized centers, which leads to less accessibility for people who don’t live near and don’t have the means to travel for care.

The reversal of Roe v. Wade is also expected to affect cancer care by limiting health care options for pregnant women with cancer, the report said.

According to the report, “the recent Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which ends the constitutional right to an abortion, there is uncertainty surrounding how a particular cancer treatment may lead to the termination of a pregnancy.”

“Such uncertainty may prohibit some physicians from prescribing a drug or performing other health services in a timely manner due to the potential legal consequences for both physician and mother,” the report stated.

The Covid-19 pandemic had an effect on cancer in the US, with nearly 10 million breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer screenings missed in 2020.

The report offers recommendations to build on the progress and regain momentum.

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