Worldwide, more than 18 million cases of cancer were diagnosed in the year 2020 alone, which is the last time such statistics were gathered, according to Cancer Research UK. Furthermore, cancer remains the leading cause of death globally, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, according to the World Health Organization.
A large burden of these cancers occur in the United States. In 2024, the American Cancer Society projects cancer cases to surpass 2 million, which would be the first time the cancer incidence would ever be that high. To put this into perspective, this would mean nearly 5,500 cancers would be diagnosed daily in America.
The incidence of six common cancers is rising in America, and these cancers include those of the breast, prostate, endometrium, pancreas, kidney and skin. Some cancers are not increasing in overall incidence but are increasing in certain groups, such as colon cancer in those under the age of 55 as well as cervical cancer in women between the ages of 30 and 44, according to the American Cancer Society.
The rise of many cancers is partly due to the growth of the population as well as increased screening programs that are able to detect more cancers. However, additional considerations include controllable risk factors that are also on the rise in America; namely obesity and alcohol.
Some risk factors for cancer cannot be controlled, such as family history of cancer or inheriting certain genetic mutations that predispose one to cancer. However, diet and the use of alcohol are entirely controllable, but contribute significantly to the development of cancer.
Obesity, for example, is associated with 13 different cancers, many of which that are on the rise in America including breast, endometrial, pancreas and kidney according to the CDC. This should be troubling for the American public since more than 2 in 5 American adults are obese, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Alcohol is also associated with at least nine different cancers, including some on the rise such as breast, prostate and pancreas according to the CDC. No amount of alcohol use is safe for health, yet more than 221 million Americans ages 12 and older report having drank alcohol at some point in their life according to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Despite advances in research and screening programs for many cancers, there exist many racial and ethnic disparities with respect to cancer incidence and mortality. As an example, Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than White women and are twice as likely to die if they are younger than 50, according to the American Cancer Society.
Disparities in cancer health should serve as a gentle reminder for healthcare providers, educators, government officials and policymakers to do everything in their power to address these inequities. This means making screening programs widely accessible particularly to marginalized communities and low-income households, mitigating the effects of systemic racism by providing more implicit bias and unconscious bias training to healthcare workers as well as bolstering education programs so more individuals are aware of the importance of cancer screening.
About one third of Black women report experiencing racial discrimination at a health provider visit, according to the American Cancer Society. We, as a nation, must do better in order to uphold the ideals of the American Bill of Rights, especially as we honor World Cancer Day and remember the millions who have died from diseases that can, in part be prevented.
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