News & Events

2024

American Cancer Society releases study on breast cancer statistics in U.S.

October 1, 2024 - American Cancer Society Tweet

The American Cancer Society released its biennial report on breast cancer statistics in the United States this October, coinciding with breast cancer awareness month. The report draws data partly from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program to examine trends in incidence, death, and survival across factors like age, race and ethnicity, and subtype.

Among the findings, the researchers highlight a 44% drop in breast cancer deaths from 1989 to 2022 due to advances in treatment, screening, and detection. This drop in breast cancer deaths may mean over 500,000 fewer women dying over the past three decades. However, the researchers note that compared to White women, Black women experience a 38% higher death rate from breast cancer, despite having a lower rate of new cases. The rate of new cases among Asian American and Pacific Islander women went from the second lowest in 2000 to the highest—tied with White women—in 2021. Hispanic women also saw their rate of new cases increase faster than average between 2012 and 2021.

SEER data helps researchers determine if cancer diagnoses rebounded in 2021

September 24, 2024 - JNCI Tweet

The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 disrupted routine cancer screenings, diagnoses, and healthcare visits. In a recent publication in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Nadia Howlader and colleagues from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance Research Program compared the observed rate of new cancer diagnoses during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic with predicted cancer case rates based on trends before the pandemic.

To explore cancer rates during these timeframes, the researcher team used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. The team studied if cancer diagnoses in 2021 across 5 sites—breast, prostate, lung, pancreas, and thyroid—and all cancer sites combined made up for the decline in cancer diagnoses at these sites in 2020. In 2021, the rate of new cancer cases got close or returned to, but did not exceed, pre-pandemic levels. This means between 2020 and 2021, there is still a shortage of expected cancer cases. However, for 2021, the researchers found a higher-than-expected rate of new distant-stage breast cancer cases, which may have happened because of delayed screening. Since the rate of new cancer cases in 2021 did not make up for the shortfall of cases in 2020, the authors suggest more long-term monitoring to understand how the pandemic affected cancer case rates and outcomes.

Almost half of cancer survivors experienced financial hardship

August 20, 2024 - JAMA Tweet

In a recent publication in JAMA Network Open, researchers analyzed data from the 2021 Health Information National Trends Survey – Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (HINTS-SEER) dataset to understand the relationship between financial hardship and several individual and community-level factors. Out of a representative sample of cancer survivors, about half of the survivors experienced financial challenges; these survivors tended to be younger, socioeconomically disadvantaged, beneficiaries of Medicare or Medicaid, and diagnosed with advanced stage disease.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor cases increase from 2000 to 2019 according to SEER data

August 19, 2024 - JAMA Tweet

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are rare cancers that occur in the wall of the digestive tract, which includes organs like the stomach and small intestine. Researchers based at the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG) at the National Cancer Institute used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program to understand both how rates of new cases of stromal tumors changed from 2000 to 2019 and how survival rates of these cancers changed as well. They found that rates of new stromal tumor diagnoses increased, likely because of better diagnostic tools and technologies. Survival rates from these cancers also improved with advances in treatment. However, they did find Black patients with stromal tumors in the esophagus had disproportionately higher rates of death.

Generation X and Millennials may have higher risk for cancer than previous generations

August, 2024 - The Lancet Tweet

A risk factor for cancer is something that increases a person’s chances of developing cancer. These risk factors include age, genetics, excess body weight, exposure to carcinogens—which damage DNA and change the way cells function—and more. Recent studies show people born between 1965 and 1980 may have higher rates of some cancers for their age compared to people born in previous generations. Now, in a study published in The Lancet, researchers at the American Cancer Society used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program to understand how rates of cancer changed from generation to generation in the US, starting with people born in the 1920s through the 1990s.

To model rates of cancer across a broad population of people in the United States, the researchers used over 23 million records of cancer cases and over 7 million records of cancer deaths between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2019. They found rates of new cancer cases increased from the oldest to the youngest generations for 17 of 34 cancer sites. Of these 17 cancers, 10 are related to excess body weight and include cancers of the colon and rectum, kidney, uterus, pancreas, breast, and liver. Other cancer risk factors at play may include lack of exercise as well as diets high in processed foods and saturated fats. However, the researchers found younger generations have falling rates of cervical cancer, which can be prevented with the HPV vaccine, and of lung cancer, which parallels the decline in tobacco use. Since cancer is being diagnosed earlier, the researchers note that exposure to cancer risk factors must be happening even earlier in a person’s life. The researchers highlight that more research into these early lifetime exposures is needed to slow down the rate of new cancer cases.

SEER data helps researchers study breast cancer genetic testing rates

July 15, 2024 - JCO Tweet

A person’s genetics can play a role in a cancer diagnosis. According to the National Cancer Institute, harmful changes in a person’s genes inherited from a parent cause about 5 to 10% of all cancers. Since these genes can be passed on to new generations, it’s important for families to communicate with each other about ways to reduce their risk or proactively screen for the disease. Genetic testing can also inform how to treat certain types of cancer. In a recent publication in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, looked at de-identified data from the Georgia and Los Angeles County Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries to understand how many breast cancer survivors received genetic testing at different stages of treatment.

To answer this question, the researchers gave surveys at the 7 month and 6-year marks after a breast cancer survivor’s diagnosis. These surveys asked questions related to genetic testing and counseling services, including who ordered the test, what the results were, and long it had been since a test. The survey also asked survivors if they communicated these results with family members. Certain factors, such as the subtype of breast cancer, family history, age, or diagnosis of new cancers dictate if a patient is eligible for genetic testing.

About 72% of women who were eligible for genetic testing at diagnosis received these services. Among survivors who became eligible during the follow-up period (due to reasons such as a family member’s recent cancer diagnosis) only 53% of survivors reported genetic testing. 35% of survivors with no eligibility factor received genetic testing. The researchers found that women who received genetic test results showing a pathogenic variant were much more likely to tell family members about the results. The researchers call for further research into genetic testing guidelines, especially during the follow up periods years after diagnosis.

SEER modeling projects over 26 million cancer survivors in 2040

July 13, 2024 - JNCI Tweet

Advances in cancer screening, detection, and treatment mean more people are living longer after being diagnosed. A recent study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program to project the number of cancer survivors living in the United States by 2040.

To estimate the number of future cancer survivors in the United States, the researchers combined SEER data, which includes information about cancer case and survival rates, together with mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics and US Census Bureau. About 18.1 million people in the United States were living with a cancer diagnosis on January 1, 2022. By 2030, the number of survivors will increase to 21.6 million and, by 2040, over 26 million people will be living with a cancer diagnosis. Between 2022 and 2040, about 74% of all cancer survivors will have lived 5 or more years after diagnosis. Given these increasing survivor populations, the researchers call for further study in health care delivery and research programs to properly support these diverse groups.

Cigarette smoking responsible for most preventable cancer cases and deaths

July 11, 2024 - American Cancer Society Tweet

A cancer risk factor is something that increases a person’s chances of developing cancer. These factors can be out of our control, such as age, family medical history, or exposure to chemicals and pollution. Other cancer risk factors come from lifestyle choices like smoking, drinking alcohol, diet, and exercise. Some risk factors have strong links to multiple types of cancer, like cigarette smoking increasing the risk of cancers in the mouth, throat, lungs, colon, bladder, and more. In a recent study from the American Cancer Society, researchers looked at de-identified cancer data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program and health behavior survey data to estimate the number of cancer cases and deaths that could be linked to these lifestyle choices and other modifiable risk factors.

To make these estimates, the researchers combined new cancer diagnoses and deaths in 2019 with health survey data from the previous 10 years. The health survey included questions about smoking, drinking, diet, body mass, exercise, and certain infections linked to cancer. Out of 1,781,649 cancer diagnoses in the United States in 2019, about 40% of these diagnoses—or 713,340 cancer cases—could be linked to modifiable risk factors like smoking, diet, and exercise. The researchers linked cigarette smoking to nearly half of these preventable cancer diagnoses, followed by excess body weight, alcohol consumption, and exposure to ultraviolet radiation. About 44% of all cancer deaths could be linked to these risk factors as well. When linking risk factors to preventable cancer deaths, the researchers found cigarette smoking, excess body weight, diet, and infections were the top four responsible factors.

American Cancer Society studies cancer rates across AANHPI ethnic groups

June 24, 2024 - American Cancer Society Tweet

The American Cancer Society (ACS) released a first-of-its-kind report to examine the cancer risk among Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. The report, released on the first day of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, dives into cancer rates for approximately 25.7 million Americans belonging to over 27 different ethnic groups living in the United States in 2021. To study cancer rates among this broad and diverse population, the researchers used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries, and the US Census Bureau.

Cancer is the second-leading cause of death overall in the United States, but among US residents who are of Chinese, Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese descent, cancer is the leading cause of death. Among Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer. The report found Asian Americans are more likely than Whites to die from liver and stomach cancers, while Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders have higher death rates compared to Whites for breast, liver, cervical, stomach, and uterine cancers. Some of these disparities may be from lack of access to cancer screening or prevention, as seen in higher rates of advanced breast cancer diagnoses among Guamanian, Samoan, Pakistani, Tongan, Laotian, and Hmong women. The researchers call for renewed research into the cancer burden felt by these highly diverse ethnic populations.

Generation X showing higher rates of new cancer diagnoses

June 10, 2024 - JAMA Network Tweet

Age is the largest factor that contributes to a person’s risk for developing cancer. About 30% of all new cancer cases get diagnosed in people between 65 and 74 years, with a median age at diagnosis of 67, according to the Cancer Stat Facts sheet for cancer of all sites. In 2024, people who fall into this age range were born between 1950 and 1964, which begins to straddle the Baby Boomer and Generation X generations. The second highest rate of cancer diagnoses—24% of all cases—happens in people between 55 and 64 years, which includes more of Generation X.

In a recent study published in JAMA Open Network, researchers used de-identified cancer data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program to study if rates of new cancer cases are increasing or decreasing across different generations in the US. The dataset covered people between the ages of 35 and 84 from 1992 to 2018 and included the 21 most diagnosed cancers. The researchers found that, compared to their parents’ generation, Baby Boomer men had lower rates of cancer. However, men and women from Generation X had higher rates of new cancer cases compared to their parents’ generations. Among Generation X men and women, rates of new cases increased quickly for thyroid, kidney, colorectal cancers, and leukemia. Rising rates of obesity and sedentary lifestyles may be partly to blame for these rising cancer rates. The researchers are unsure about what sort of cancer burden Millennials will feel, as rising cancer rates meet improved cancer screening and treatment options due to research investments.

CISNET modeling informs new breast cancer screening guidelines

April 30, 2024 - JAMA Network Tweet

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is a volunteer group of medical professionals who make recommendations about how, when, and who to screen for certain types of diseases like cancer. In a new paper published in JAMA, researchers used the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET), which uses data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, to explore the benefits and costs of new breast cancer screening strategies.

Before changing its screening guidelines, the USPSTF recommended women between 50 and 74 years old get a mammogram every two years and suggested doctors should discuss starting breast cancer screening earlier for patients at higher risk. The researchers modeled thirty-six different breast cancer screening strategies and estimated factors, including the number of deaths prevented, to evaluate each strategy. Each strategy included different screening age ranges, how often a patient goes for screening, and the technology used to look for breast cancer.

The screening strategies that saved the most lives started between the ages of 40 and 45 and continued every other year (biennially) through age 74 or 79. Both digital mammograms and digital breast tomosynthesis (or “DBT,” also sometimes known as a 3D mammogram) were effective in preventing breast cancer death, but DBT had slightly fewer false positives. Black women saw better survival with every studied strategy, and the researchers suggest annual screening for black women may further help reduce breast cancer disparities. With these findings, the USPSTF now recommends women get a mammogram every other year between the ages of 40 and 74.