Cancer Death Rates Decline, Disparities Persist in U.S.

The latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer shows that overall cancer death rates in the U.S. have declined steadily from 2001 through 2022 for both men and women, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. While cancer incidence rates for men decreased until 2013 and then stabilized, rates for women have slightly increased each year since 2003, except for a temporary dip in 2020 attributed to pandemic-related disruptions in medical care and screening. The decline in cancer deaths is largely driven by reduced smoking rates and corresponding decreases in smoking-related cancers such as lung cancer. However, incidence rates for cancers associated with obesity—including breast, uterus, colon and rectum, pancreas, kidney, and liver cancers—are rising. The report also highlights persistent disparities in cancer incidence and mortality among different racial and ethnic groups, with the highest incidence among non-Hispanic Black men and American Indian and Alaska Native women. Notably, while breast cancer diagnoses have gradually increased among women, breast cancer mortality has continued to fall, reflecting advances in treatment and early detection.