Clinical Topics & News

Death Rates for Brain Cancer Trend Downward

Annual report shows that death rates for brain cancer among gender and ethnic groups have decreased.


 

Brain cancer rates have declined slightly in recent years, according to the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2012, which tracks trends in cancer incidence and deaths in the U.S.

Between 2003 and 2012, brain cancer was 1 of 7 common cancers for which incidence rates dropped among men. Death rates remained stable among men during that time for melanoma and cancers of the bladder, brain, oral cavity, and pharynx. Between 2003 and 2012, brain cancer ranked 11th of the top 17 cancers for whites, 15th for blacks, 13th for Asian/Pacific Islanders (API), 14th for American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN), and 13th for Hispanics.

Related: Major Cancer Death Rates Are Down

When data from 1975 through 2012 were factored in, the long-term trend was a general decline in cancer deaths for adults. Overall, cancer deaths for both sexes decreased by 1.5% per year between 2003 and 2012. For men in all ethnic and racial groups, rates of brain cancer also trended downward. The annual percent change was 4.4% between 1975 and 1977; -0.4% between 1977 and 1982, 1.3% between 1982 and 1991, -1.0% between 1991 and 2007, and 0.7% between 2007 and 2012.

Among women, death rates declined slightly overall but remained stable for brain cancer. Between 2003 and 2012, brain cancer ranked 9th among the top 17 cancers for whites, 15th for blacks, 12th for API, 14th for AI/AN, and 12th for Hispanics.

Related: Predicting Tongue Cancer Recurrence

The annual updates are the joint production of The American Cancer Society, the CDC, National Cancer Institute, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. This is the 18th year the report has been published.

Source:
Ryerson AB, Eheman CR, Altekruse SF, et al. Cancer. 2016;122(9):1312-137.
doi: 10.1002/cncr.29936.

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