Incidence of Some Cancers Declining, While Others Become More Common

[Guest guest]

Certain Types of Cancer Becoming More Common, While Rates of Others

Decreasing

Skin, Breast and Prostate Cancer on the Rise, While Lung and Colon

Cancer Decline

Atlanta, Ga. – December 15, 2006 - Nation-wide statistics indicate

that while some types of cancer are occurring less frequently, the

rates of others are still surging upward. According to a new study

published in ls of the New York Academy of Sciences, incidence

of skin cancer is climbing in both sexes - more men are facing

prostate cancer, while more women are diagnosed with breast cancer.

Cancers showing a decrease in incidence in both sexes include lung,

stomach and colon cancers.

" There are a variety of factors that may explain these numbers, "

says study author Ward. " Cancer trends over time could

reflect changes in exposure to risk factors such as sun or smoking,

changes in how we classify cancer or the introduction of new

screening or diagnostic tests. " Ward notes that while the incidence

of some cancers is climbing, overall cancer mortality rates have

decreased since 1991 for both men and women.

" For some cancers, the reasons for their changing incidence rates

are somewhat clear, " says Ward, citing well-known connections

between sun exposure and smoking, with skin and lung cancers,

respectively. " In a complex environment that is constantly changing,

understanding the factors influencing other cancers, such as non-

Hodgkin lymphoma or testicular cancer, will continue to be a

formidable challenge. "

This study is published in ls of the New York Academy of

Sciences, Volume 1076 Living in a Chemical World: Framing the Future

in Light of the Past.

M. Ward is the director of the Surveillance Research

branch for the American Cancer Society's Department of Epidemiology

and Surveillance Research. She can be reached for questions at

.Ward@....

###