Drop in US Cancer Death Rates Seen Mainly in Highly Educated Individuals

NEW YORK JUL 08, 2008 (Reuters Health) - v

"The recent reductions in death rates from major cancers in the US have bypassed less educated working people, suggesting that persons in lower socioeconomic groups have not yet benefited equivalently from recent advances in prevention, early detection, and treatment of the major fatal cancers," Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues conclude.

Using data from the National Center for Health Statistics and from the US Bureau of Census Current Population Survey, the researchers found that death rates from cancers of the lung, breast, prostate, and colon/rectum generally fell significantly in every race and sex stratum in people with 16 or more years of education.

For instance, in subjects with this level of educational attainment, colorectal cancer mortality fell by 2.4% to 4.8% annually from 1993 to 2001.

The one exception, however, was lung cancer in black women for whom death rates held steady during the study period.

With less than 12 years of education, by contrast, cancer death rates generally remained stable or even increased, as was seen with lung cancer in white women and colon cancer in black men. However, in white women with breast cancer, mortality fell by 1.4% annually.

SOURCE:

"Reuters content is the intellectual property of Reuters Limited. Any copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon."