Nov 25, 2008 4:21 pm US/Pacific
Cancer Stats Have Never Been Better
NEW YORK (CBS News) ―
Better cancer detection, better treatments and fewer people smoking - all of these factors are driving cancer statistics that have never been better, CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook reports.
"For the first time in the history of this report, both the rate of cancers and the rate of cancer deaths are both declining significantly," said Robert Croyle, director of the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences at the National Cancer Institute.
The most common cancers have seen the most dramatic declines in new cases, according to an annual report by the NCI, the American Cancer Society and other groups.
"We're seeing decreases in prostate cancer at about a 4 percent decrease per year and in breast cancer at about 2 percent and colon cancer at a rate of 3 percent per year," he said.
In men, lung, prostate and colorectal cancer have dropped.
In women, breast and colorectal cancer are down - while lung cancer has leveled off.
But it's not all good news.
For example, rates have increased for cancers of the liver, kidney and esophagus. One likely reason? Obesity.
"We're concerned that obesity may be the tobacco of the 21st century," Croyle said.
Dr. Charles Lightdale treats esophageal cancer, and is concerned about obesity because it may increase acid reflux, which over time can cause cancer in the lining of the esophagus.
"Esophageal cancer is really rising extremely rapidly. The rate of acceleration is faster than any other cancer in the United States today," said Lightdale, a professor of clinical medicine at New York Presbyterian and Columbia University Medical Center.
After years of heartburn, 61-year-old Jim O'Beirne was recently diagnosed with esophageal cancer.
"I ate the wrong food. You know, not smart about watching what I was eating and it was just a result of overeating," O'Beirne said.
But his odds improved dramatically, because his symptoms led to early diagnosis.
"That's the key because if we detect it early, we can cure it," Lightdale said.
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