Insight

Dec 6, 2024, 17:29

Prevention and screening efforts in the past 45 years – NCI

A recent study led by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) underscores the significant role of prevention and screening in reducing cancer deaths, revealing that these efforts have saved more lives than treatment advances over the past 45 years.

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Published in JAMA Oncology on December 5, 2024, the study shows that from 1975 to 2020, 4.75 million deaths were averted across five major cancers—breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate—accounting for nearly 80% of the total 5.94 million deaths prevented.

The findings highlight that smoking cessation was responsible for 98% of the 3.45 million lung cancer deaths averted. For cervical cancer, screening through Pap tests and HPV testing was responsible for preventing all 160,000 deaths.

In colorectal cancer, screening and the removal of precancerous polyps accounted for 79% of the 940,000 averted deaths.

For prostate cancer, PSA testing contributed 56% of the 360,000 deaths averted. Breast cancer, on the other hand, saw the greatest impact from treatment advances, although screening also played a role in reducing mortality.

Katrina A. B. Goddard, co-lead investigator of the study, emphasized that while treatment improvements are often thought to be the main driver of mortality reductions, prevention and screening have proven to be the key factors in saving lives.

Prevention and screening efforts in the past 45 years - NCI

The study also pointed to the potential for newer strategies, such as HPV vaccination and expanded lung cancer screening, to further decrease cancer death rates.

As the Biden Cancer Moonshot initiative continues its work toward a bold goal of cutting cancer death rates by 50% by 2047, this study highlights the importance of enhancing prevention and screening efforts across the nation. Moving forward, increasing access to these life-saving strategies, especially for underserved populations, will be critical to advancing progress in cancer care and prevention.

National Cancer Institute (NCI) shared a post on LinkedIn:

“Press release: Improvements in cancer prevention and screening have averted more deaths from five cancer types combined over the past 45 years than treatment advances, according to a modeling study led by researchers at NCI.

Learn more.”

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