cancer zodiacThe National Cancer Institute recently published the 2005 update of the Cancer Trends Progress Report. The document tracks several key measures related to cancer, including health habits, early screening, diagnosis, treatment, and mortality. The good news is that death rates for the most common cancers (prostate, breast, lung, and colorectal) have continued to decline. These positive trends may stem from continual health promotion, more aggressive cancer screening, and advancing treatment regimens. The bad news is that cancer is now the leading cause of death for people under 85, and the incidence of the most common cancers (prostate, female breast, and lung) continues to increase.

Confused? Be careful to differentiate the mortality rate (deaths per 100,000 people per year) from the incidence (new cases per 100,000 people per year). Early screening has permitted doctors to catch cancers at earlier, less severe, and more treatable stages. In other words, even though the number of cancer cases continues to increase, early intervention is influencing the odds of survival.