Report: Overall cancer rate, mortality continue to decline

Overall cancer incidence, or new cancer cases, decreased 0.5% per year between 2002 and 2011, according to the latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. Mortality rates also continued to fall. For the first time, the report includes incidence rates for the four major molecular subtypes of breast cancer by age, race/ethnicity, poverty level, and several other factors. It also notes specific trends calling for greater evaluation, including increases in thyroid, kidney, liver, uterine and certain oral/oropharyngeal cancer rates. The annual report is co-authored by experts from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, American Cancer Society, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.