A recent study reveals that nearly 6 million deaths from five common cancers were prevented through prevention, early detection, and improved treatments. Biostatistician Katrina Goddard from the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., along with her colleagues, utilized statistical modeling to estimate the number of lives that would have been lost in the United States to each of the five cancers if survival rates had remained at 1975 levels, prior to significant advancements in cancer control strategies.
The team also calculated the number of deaths averted by enhancements in prevention measures, screening, and treatments. According to the researchers, 80 percent of the 5.9 million cancer deaths averted from 1975 through 2020 were due to screening and prevention, as reported in JAMA Oncology on December 5.
Key highlights include: Despite these advancements, not enough individuals are undergoing screening or adopting cancer-prevention measures, such as quitting smoking. "There's potential to enhance the adoption of these strategies," and to develop new treatments, early detection methods, and ways to prevent cancer altogether, says Goddard, who leads NCI's Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences. "We should certainly consider the entire cancer-control continuum when contemplating how to reduce the burden of cancer."
Source link: https://www.sciencenews.org
