Latest NCI Report Shows Declining Cancer Death Rates

NCI released its annual report to the nation. It says overall cancer death rates continue to decline in men and women for all racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.

In July 2021, the National Cancer Institute released its annual report to the nation that says overall cancer death rates continue to decline in men and women for all racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. Notably, from 2001 to 2018, lung cancer death rates have declined dramatically and death rates for melanoma declined considerably in more recent years, reflecting a substantial increase in survival for metastatic melanoma. 

While death rates declined, the report—a collaborative effort among NCI, CDC, the American Cancer Society and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries—revealed the overall cancer incidence rates continue to increase among women, young adults and children.

The report showed a decrease in death rates for 11 of the 19 most common cancers among men and 14 of the 20 most common cancers among women pre-pandemic, from 2014 to 2018. However, the report also found that for several major cancers, including prostate, colorectal and female breast cancers, previous declining trends in death rates slowed or disappeared. Death rates increased for several cancers including brain and other nervous system and pancreatic cancer in both sexes, oral cavity and pharynx in males, and liver and uterus in females.

For more about the report, see https://seer.cancer.gov/report_to_nation/.