A report by the American Cancer Society shows cancer cases in the state will drop this year, as will cancer deaths. A spokesman for the Iowa chapter of the society, Chuck Reed, says the decrease in cancer cases comes in several areas.
Reed says there’ll be a decrease in breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer, with overall numbers of people estimated to be diagnosed with cancer down about 400 from 2007 to 2008. Reed says there’s one area where cancer cases will go up, with lung cancer cases projected to rise about 300 this year.
Reed says that’s not a good thing, but he says very little was done for tobacco control in the time frame used to determine the statistics. Reed says the projections for cancer cases are based on data from 2000-2004. He says the cancer death rate should improve as new prevention measures start to show their benefits.
Reed says last year the increase in tobacco tax was passed, and this year there could be new smoking restrictions, which he says will show an impact in the future. Reed says over 6,400 cancer deaths are expected in 2008, a drop of over 30 deaths compared to 2007.
In Iowa, the most common cancer diagnosed in men is prostate and in women is breast, followed by lung and colorectal in both men and women.