Cancer rates drop; feds vow to renew war
Cancer rates drop; feds vow to renew war
New cancer cases and cancer death rates are declining slightly, the first time this has happened since the 1930s, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "Cancer is conquerable and progress is being made," reports James S. Marks, MD, of CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
The drop in cases is attributed to changes in behavior, most notably a decrease in smoking, while the drop in deaths is attributed to increased cancer screenings and improved therapies. However, the cancer rate increased for African-American males. "The gaps between what we know and what we do are greater for racial and ethnic minorities," Marks observes. Minorities are "less likely to be screened, less likely to have cancer detected, and less likely to get the best therapy."
The rate of all new cancers dropped an average of 0.7% per year from 1990 to 1995, after rising 1.2% per year from 1973 to 1990. An estimated 564,800 Americans will die of cancer in 1998, while nearly 8.5 million Americans are now living with a history of cancer.
In related news, the Clinton Administration is pushing for dramatic increases in federal cancer research, including a demonstration program to pay all medical and hospital expenses of Medicare beneficiaries who participate in cancer drug clinical trials under the demonstration. Although progress in the "war on cancer" has been slow over the past three decades, Vice President Al Gore in late January announced increases of $4.8 billion - or 65% - in cancer research funds, primarily through the National Cancer Institute.
The country is "right on the verge of a whole new phase of this war," Gore said. Research dollars would be targeted at improved early detection and diagnosis, increased adult participation in clinical trials, and increased access to cutting-edge scientific information on cancer treatment. This announcement was greeted by Friends of Cancer Research as "a significant step forward in the fight to eliminate cancer. . . . There are promising new therapies that aren't being tested simply because we don't have the resources."
However, it also seems reasonable to expect that this increased push for cancer research, particularly encouraging Medicare patients to take part in experimental drug trials, would further delay referrals to hospice care, which are already being characterized by many in the industry as "brink-of-death care." (See Hospice Management Advisor, January 1998, pp. 1-7.)
Subscribe Now for Access
You have reached your article limit for the month. We hope you found our articles both enjoyable and insightful. For information on new subscriptions, product trials, alternative billing arrangements or group and site discounts please call 800-688-2421. We look forward to having you as a long-term member of the Relias Media community.