Re: Cancer Now Number One?

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

Rodney, you have it correct and the paper seems to suggest

differently.

Cerebrovascular disease are differentially give and heart disease is

number one in the causes of all deaths. See:

http://caonline.amcancersoc.org/cgi/content/full/55/1/10/TBL6

from:

http://caonline.amcancersoc.org/cgi/content/full/55/1/10

These are pdf-available to all.

--- In , " Rodney " <perspect1111@y...>

wrote:

>

> Hi folks:

>

> Presumably this is true only when other vascular diseases are

> excluded from the heart disease data?

>

> " Cancer Now Top Killer of Americans

> Thursday, January 20, 2005

> By J. DeNoon

>

> Cancer has surpassed heart disease to become the leading cause of

> death in the U.S., according to new statistics released today by

the

> American Cancer Society.

>

> The group predicts that 1,372,910 Americans this year will hear the

> words " you've got cancer. " And, the group says, in 2005 cancer will

> kill 570,280 Americans — more than 1,500 a day.

>

> Despite cancer's spot as America's No. 1 cause of death, the

overall

> U.S. cancer death rate actually has been going down. Why? More

> widespread cancer screening and better cancer treatment, says

> Ward, PhD, director of surveillance research for the

> American Cancer Society.

>

> " We can say with confidence that both are occurring, " Ward tells

> WebMD. " The declines in the cancer mortality rate are due to

earlier

> detection and to improvements in treatment. "

>

> Lung Cancer Still Top Cancer Killer

>

> Lung cancer is still the top cause of cancer death. It's the cause

of

> one-third of cancer deaths in men and of one-fourth of cancer

deaths

> in women. But the U.S. campaign against tobacco use has had an

> effect. Lung cancer deaths among men are dropping. And after years

of

> increases, lung cancer deaths are leveling off among women.

>

> Breast cancer causes a third of all cancers in women. It's their

> second leading cause of cancer death. But here, too, death rates

are

> going down — again largely due to more women getting screening

> mammograms and to advances in treatment.

>

> Prostate cancer is to men what breast cancer is to women. It's the

> No. 2 cause of male cancer death. Death rates are going down,

> although it is not yet clear whether this is due to the PSA

screening

> blood test.

>

> " The kinds of studies that can demonstrate the benefit of PSA

> screening are being done but are not concluded, " Ward says. " So the

> American Cancer Society recommends that when men reach 50, they

> should discuss with their doctors the benefits and risks of PSA

> screening. "

>

> Colon cancer is the No. 3 cause of cancer deaths in both men and

> women. Although colon cancer rates are dropping, there is much more

> that can be done. Colon cancer grows very slowly — so screening has

> an excellent chance of catching growths in the colon or rectum

before

> they become cancerous. But so far, too few people get these tests.

>

> " Fewer than 50 percent of people over age 50 are getting colon

cancer

> screening, " Ward says.

>

> Ward notes that the new cancer figures highlight a shocking

disparity

> in health care. African-American men have a 40 percent higher

cancer

> death rate than white men. African-American women have a 20 percent

> higher cancer death rate than white women.

>

> Why? Studies show that cancer treatment is equally successful for

all

> races. The data — reported in the January/February issue of CA: A

> Cancer Journal for Clinicians — show that African-Americans are

less

> likely to have their cancer caught early, when it is still more

> easily and successfully treated.

>

> " We must ensure that existing knowledge reaches all Americans, "

Ward

> says. " One of the ways we can increase the rate at which cancer

> prevention is achieved in our population as a whole is by making

sure

> we reach the poor and medically underserved with this important

> information. "

>

> The most important information:

>

> —Stop smoking. Keep young people from starting smoking.

>

> —Watch your weight. Being overweight or obese boosts cancer risk.

>

> —Get cancer screening tests.

>

> By J. DeNoon, reviewed by W. , MD

>

> SOURCES: Jemal, A. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians,

> January/February 2005; vol 55: pp 10-30. Ward, PhD,

> director of surveillance research, American Cancer Society,

Atlanta.

> News conference, American Cancer Society, Jan. 19, 2005. "

>

> Rodney.

[Guest guest]

Hi Al:

Thanks for that. It looks like the American Cancer Society's PR

department is at work. Here is what the study actually said:

" When deaths are aggregated by age, cancer has surpassed heart

disease as the leading cause of death for persons younger than 85

since 1999. " ***FOR PERSONS YOUNGER THAN 85***. Cerebrovascular

disease is huge too, of course.

So they are trying to give the world the impression that cancer is

the leading cause of death so that they can drum up more

money .............. so that they can pay themselves bigger

salaries, perhaps? Who knows.

Rodney.

> >

> > Hi folks:

> >

> > Presumably this is true only when other vascular diseases are

> > excluded from the heart disease data?

> >

> > " Cancer Now Top Killer of Americans

> > Thursday, January 20, 2005

> > By J. DeNoon

> >

> > Cancer has surpassed heart disease to become the leading cause of

> > death in the U.S., according to new statistics released today by

> the

> > American Cancer Society.

> >

> > The group predicts that 1,372,910 Americans this year will hear

the

> > words " you've got cancer. " And, the group says, in 2005 cancer

will

> > kill 570,280 Americans — more than 1,500 a day.

> >

> > Despite cancer's spot as America's No. 1 cause of death, the

> overall

> > U.S. cancer death rate actually has been going down. Why? More

> > widespread cancer screening and better cancer treatment, says

> > Ward, PhD, director of surveillance research for the

> > American Cancer Society.

> >

> > " We can say with confidence that both are occurring, " Ward tells

> > WebMD. " The declines in the cancer mortality rate are due to

> earlier

> > detection and to improvements in treatment. "

> >

> > Lung Cancer Still Top Cancer Killer

> >

> > Lung cancer is still the top cause of cancer death. It's the

cause

> of

> > one-third of cancer deaths in men and of one-fourth of cancer

> deaths

> > in women. But the U.S. campaign against tobacco use has had an

> > effect. Lung cancer deaths among men are dropping. And after

years

> of

> > increases, lung cancer deaths are leveling off among women.

> >

> > Breast cancer causes a third of all cancers in women. It's their

> > second leading cause of cancer death. But here, too, death rates

> are

> > going down — again largely due to more women getting screening

> > mammograms and to advances in treatment.

> >

> > Prostate cancer is to men what breast cancer is to women. It's

the

> > No. 2 cause of male cancer death. Death rates are going down,

> > although it is not yet clear whether this is due to the PSA

> screening

> > blood test.

> >

> > " The kinds of studies that can demonstrate the benefit of PSA

> > screening are being done but are not concluded, " Ward says. " So

the

> > American Cancer Society recommends that when men reach 50, they

> > should discuss with their doctors the benefits and risks of PSA

> > screening. "

> >

> > Colon cancer is the No. 3 cause of cancer deaths in both men and

> > women. Although colon cancer rates are dropping, there is much

more

> > that can be done. Colon cancer grows very slowly — so screening

has

> > an excellent chance of catching growths in the colon or rectum

> before

> > they become cancerous. But so far, too few people get these tests.

> >

> > " Fewer than 50 percent of people over age 50 are getting colon

> cancer

> > screening, " Ward says.

> >

> > Ward notes that the new cancer figures highlight a shocking

> disparity

> > in health care. African-American men have a 40 percent higher

> cancer

> > death rate than white men. African-American women have a 20

percent

> > higher cancer death rate than white women.

> >

> > Why? Studies show that cancer treatment is equally successful for

> all

> > races. The data — reported in the January/February issue of CA: A

> > Cancer Journal for Clinicians — show that African-Americans are

> less

> > likely to have their cancer caught early, when it is still more

> > easily and successfully treated.

> >

> > " We must ensure that existing knowledge reaches all Americans, "

> Ward

> > says. " One of the ways we can increase the rate at which cancer

> > prevention is achieved in our population as a whole is by making

> sure

> > we reach the poor and medically underserved with this important

> > information. "

> >

> > The most important information:

> >

> > —Stop smoking. Keep young people from starting smoking.

> >

> > —Watch your weight. Being overweight or obese boosts cancer risk.

> >

> > —Get cancer screening tests.

> >

> > By J. DeNoon, reviewed by W. , MD

> >

> > SOURCES: Jemal, A. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians,

> > January/February 2005; vol 55: pp 10-30. Ward, PhD,

> > director of surveillance research, American Cancer Society,

> Atlanta.

> > News conference, American Cancer Society, Jan. 19, 2005. "

> >

> > Rodney.