ABSTRACT
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and collaborating agencies have proclaimed
great progress in the U.S. “war on cancer,” while at the same time presenting more
reasons for concern than celebration. We reviewed various documents and data
files and found that incidence and mortality rates for all cancer sites combined
remain higher than they were when the “war on cancer” was declared in 1971,
despite very recent, modest decreases. The burden of the disease has risen from
three million to nearly ten million people. Black Americans, men of all races, and
other segments of the population disproportionately bear the burden of cancer.
We also looked at data for malignant breast cancer and found that incidence rates
increased 36% from 1973 to 2000, while mortality for all population groups
combined declined slightly. Breast cancer mortality is 34% higher among black
women than among white women, even though white women are generally more
likely to get the disease. The $50 billion spent on the “war on cancer” over the
last 33 years has yielded few gains. The NCI’s resources must be refocused
on preventing cancers we know how to prevent.
