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Common cancers diagnosed at later stages
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Dec. 13, 2010
Nearly half of the cervical cancer and colorectal cancer cases in the United States are diagnosed at late stages when treatment is more difficult, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately one-third of breast cancer cases are diagnosed late.
The study, published in the Nov. 26 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, examined national data on new cases of invasive cancer diagnosed from 2004 to 2006. Researchers found that incidence rates of late-stage cancer diagnoses differed by patients' age, race/ethnicity and state. Black men had the highest rate of late-stage colorectal cancer, 114 cases per 100,000 men (link).
Breast cancer was most frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage in black women (124.3 cases per 100,000 women). Hispanic women had the highest rate of late-stage cervical cancer (8.4 cases per 100,000 women).
The CDC recommends that health professionals use the findings to identify populations that would benefit from interventions to boost cancer screening.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/12/13/prbf1213.htm.
