American cancer society statistics

The American Cancer Society (ACS) has released two annual publications on cancer statistics according to a Jan 22, 2002, news release from ACS. Cancer Facts & Figures 2002 includes estimates of the number of new cancer cases and cancer deaths likely to occur in the United States this year. It also features a section on early detection of colorectal cancer. Cancer Prevention & Early Detection Facts and Figures 2002 presents data on lifestyle factors, such as tobacco use, nutrition, physical activity, sun exposure, and use of cancer screening.

According to the release, Cancer Facts & Figures 2002 states that approximately 1,284,900 new cases of cancer are expected to occur in the United States this year. This publication also includes the following statistics.

* Lung cancer, which will claim an estimated 154,900 lives this year, remains the leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

* The death rate for all cancers is approximately 33% higher for African Americans than for Caucasians. Between 1992 and 1998, however, the incidence of cancer and the mortality rate among African American men decreased more than for any other racial or ethnic group.

* The five-year survival rate for all cancers is 62%, up 2% from last year's report.

About one-third of the 550,500 cancer deaths expected to occur in 2002 are related to lifestyle factors that individuals can control, including diet, physical inactivity, obesity, smoking, and tanning, according to the release. The following information is found in Cancer Prevention & Early Detection Facts and Figures 2002.

* Despite widespread awareness of the dangers of cigarette smoking and tobacco use, 170,000 people likely will die from tobacco-related causes this year. The percentage of high school students who smoke varied widely by state, with the highest percentage, more than 40%, occurring in Kentucky, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, and West Virginia.

* Tanning and sunburning will cause the majority of the 53,600 cases of skin cancer likely to be diagnosed in 2002.

* Between the years 1960 and 2000, the percentage of adults classified as obese increased from 12.8% to 20%.

Both publications are available on the ACS web site, http://www.cancer.org.

Cancer Facts and Figures Now Available (news release, Atlanta: American Cancer Society, Jan 22, 2002), http://www.cancer.org (accessed 23 Jan 2002).