Report: cancer mortality rates down, new diagnoses in woman and younger adults up

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - A new report from the American Cancer Society shows cancer mortality rates continue to decrease but new diagnoses for women and young adults are increasing.

It’s a word no one wants to hear, cancer. The second leading cause of death in the U.S. devastates millions of people.

A new report shows cancer mortality rates have declined by 34 percent from 1991 to 2022 in the U.S.

“Yes, that is great news,” said Dr. Jaimee Mannix, breast radiologist at Siteman Cancer Center.

Dr. Mannix said there’s a couple reasons for this, especially when it comes to breast cancer.

“So your chance of dying of breast cancer if you do get diagnosed is much less than it used to be, which is great. Thanks to improvements in screenings and treatment,” she said.

But in that same report, it shows new diagnoses in women and younger adults are increasing. Mannix said they can’t say exactly why this is happening but they have some ideas.

“The major clue is probably that most of these cancers are what we call hormone receptor positive meaning that they respond to estrogen and or progesterone, which are hormones that we normally produce in our bodies, but these cancers grow in response to those hormones,” she said.

But she said this report shouldn’t cause you to panic.

“I don’t think we need to be afraid here. We just need to have this information and act on it,” Mannix said.

She said the best way to do that, think of your health first.

“I think self awareness is key and talking to your doctor about your risk,” she said.

To see the full report, visit the American Cancer Society website.

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