Cancer report reveals surprising new data on deaths, diagnoses

Overall, rates of new cancer diagnoses and cancer-related deaths have declined.

Between 2018 and 2022, cancer death rates have decreased by 1.7% each year for men and 1.3% for women, the report stated.

Lung and bronchus cancer saw the biggest decline in deaths, falling by 4.5% each year in that four-year timeframe, according to the report.

Men's death rates increased for cancers of pancreas, bones and joints, oral cavity and pharynx, and non-melanoma skin cancer during this period.

Death rates increased for cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, corpus and uterus, and liver and intrahepatic bile duct for women during this timeframe.

Among children, cancer death rates fell by 1.5% per year between 2001 and 2022, the data showed.

Among teens and young adults (15 to 39 years of age), cancer-related mortality decreased by 2.9% per year from 2001 to 2005 and 1% per year from 2005 and 2020.

Death rates did not change for the above group between 2020 and 2022.

Among men, new cancer diagnoses fell by 1.6% to 2.2% each year between 2001 and 2013.

Those rates remained stable between 2013 and 2021, according to the researchers.

Lung and bronchus cancer saw the biggest decline in cases, falling 3.4% per year.

Six cancers saw an increase in diagnoses. Those included prostate, pancreas, oral cavity and pharynx, kidney and renal pelvis, myeloma and testis, as listed in the report.

New cases remained stable for the following cancer types: stomach, melanoma of the skin, esophagus, leukemia, and liver and intrahepatic bile duct.

For women, the report noted that new cancer cases rose by 0.3% per year between 2003 and 2021.

"The reduction in fertility rates, advancing age at first birth, and rises in obesity and alcohol consumption are likely driving rising rates of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer," the researchers stated.

Stomach cancer cases were the fastest-growing in women, rising 3.2% per year.

"This change happened based on better understanding of these types of rare tumors and does not reflect a change in the underlying cancer burden."

Lung and bronchus cancer cases saw the sharpest decrease among women, declining 2.1% per year.

Kidney and renal pelvis cancer and leukemia remained relatively stable among women.

The biggest decline was seen in the rate of new brain and other nervous system cancers, which dropped by 2.9% per year.

There were increases, however, in new cases of leukemia (0.5% per year) and lymphoma (0.6%) between 2017 and 2021.

The most common cancers affecting children included leukemia, brain and other nervous system, and lymphoma.

Among teens and young adults, new cancer diagnoses remained stable between 2017 and 2021.

Due to this anomaly, the 2020 case data was analyzed separately and was not included in the cancer trend analysis.