Risk of Cancer-Related Death On Steady Decline

Since the mid-20th century, the risk of dying from cancer has been on a steady decline.  Eric Kort, from the Van Andel Research Institute (Grand Rapids, Michigan USA), and colleagues used mortality data from 1955 to 2004 from the World Health Organization's Statistical Information System, tracking the burden of cancer death in individuals born as early as 1875. Rates of cancer death peaked in individuals born from 1915 through 1924, and declined thereafter.  Beginning with the birth cohort of 1925 through 1934, each subsequent cohort had a lower lifetime risk of dying from cancer for almost all age comparisons. The trend held true for both males and females.  Among individuals born in 1925 or later, the decline in cancer mortality has been more pronounced in the youngest age groups than in the older ones (drop of 25.6% versus 6.8% per decade); the researchers speculate this trend is a result of efforts in prevention and early detection.