Ohio cancer facts and figures for 2009 released
According to the Ohio Cancer Facts & Figures 2009 report, an estimated 62,420 Ohioans will be diagnosed with invasive cancer in 2009, with the majority of those cancers being lung cancer (10,690 new cases), followed by female breast cancer (7,340 new cases), prostate cancer (6,510 new cases) and colorectal cancer (6,060 new cases).The American Cancer Society (ACS) releases the report annually to help answer questions and offer the public the latest statistics and information regarding cancer rates in Ohio. The report is helpful to the ACS and their partners in better understanding where to direct their efforts in an attempt to end suffering from cancer.
Al Stabilito, local ACS public relations director, thinks this annual report is a key help in understanding and improving cancer prevention and treatment.
"This annual publication is produced to help us in our mission to save lives," he said. "If there are certain types of cancer across the state, which have a high incidence or death rate, we can focus and work more efficiently to reduce these statistics. Also, we use this information to compare Ohio with other states across the country. The data gives us concrete information about cancer in Ohio and what areas we need to target."
Stabilito believes the report is also instrumental in helping find treatments and cures as well.
"We actually work with the state's central cancer registry, the Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System (OCISS)," he pointed out. "This is a joint effort. Together, we can help people stay well, get well, find cures and fight back."
When it comes to death rates, this recent publication indicates that the majority of the estimated 24,350 cancer deaths in 2009 in Ohio will stem from lung cancer (7,300 deaths), the second leading cause of death from cancer in Ohio will be colorectal cancer (2,210 deaths) and finally female breast cancer (1,790 deaths) and pancreatic cancer (1,430 deaths).
Despite the cancer rates and numbers, survival from cancer continues to increase. The five-year relative survival probability for all cancers diagnosed nationally from 1999 to 2005 is 67 percent, up from 50 percent from 1975 to 1977.
"This is partly because of early detection and improvements in treatment," Stabilito explained. "There is also more awareness about cancer prevention and better screening options as well. It's certainly good news that cancer mortality rates in Ohio have been on the decline. In fact, between 1990 and 2006, the overall cancer mortality rate dropped 13 percent."
Unfortunately, there is one notable exception to the decreasing cancer death rate. That exception is melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Melanoma increased 15 percent among whites in the 17-year period from 1990-2006. The risk of melanoma cancer can be decreased by limiting exposure to ultraviolet rays from sunlight or tanning lamps.
Overall, cancer incidence and deaths rates are slightly higher in Ohio than in the United States as a whole. The cancer incidence rate in Ohio is 466.4 per 100,000, compared to the national rate of 462.9 per 100,000. Also, the cancer mortality rate is higher at 201.4 per 100,000 in Ohio versus 186.9 per 100,000 in the U.S. These numbers are from cancer cases and deaths reported from 2002 to 2006, the most recent available data.
"We are still very encouraged," Stabilito said. "Great progress has been made on the war against cancer. This publication has evidence-based data that enables us to help in our overall mission to reduce incidence and deaths."
Dr. Alvin D. Jackson, M.D., Ohio Department of Health director, agreed with Stabilito and said the report is encouraging but much work remains in the fight against this deadly disease.
"While we have certainly made encouraging progress in the fight against cancer, there is still work to be done," Jackson said. "We are committed to working with partners such as the American Cancer Society to promote cancer prevention and early detection among Ohio's citizens."
Ohio Cancer Facts & Figures 2009 was jointly produced by the American Cancer Society Ohio Division and the state's central cancer registry, the Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System, a partnership of the Ohio Department of Health and The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.
To obtain a copy of Ohio Cancer Facts & Figures 2009, call the American Cancer Society at 800-227-2345. This information can also be found on the American Cancer Society Web site at www.cancer.org/ohio facts.