There is hope for curing cancer if everyone involved would band together and work as one. As it is, there are some organizations that take on all cancers but there are also groups that focus on specific types at the expense of all others. Of course they sprung up out of feelings of being marginalized and ignored which is understandable but we should not be fighting amongst ourselves. What we have now is competition for funding and messaging which is distorting where our priorities really lie and divides resources which could be better focused and coordinated. I’m hoping for a different message from the Stand Up To Cancer campaign. To understand this better, let’s look at how people are dying from cancer.
Cancer in the US, 2004
Death and incidence rates are per 100,000.
| Type | Death Rate | Death Counts | Incidence Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lung | 53.8 | 158,006 | 68.1 |
| 2 | Colorectal | 18.2 | 53,580 | 50.4 |
| men | 18.6 | 26,881 | 52.2 | |
| women | 17.9 | 26,699 | 48.6 | |
| 3 | Breast Cancer | 14.1 | 41,316 | 65.5 |
| women | 27.5 | 40,954 | 127.7 |
I would like to point out how far ahead lung cancer is in both death rate and death count and second only to breast cancer in women for incidence rate. When both men and women are combined, colon cancer causes more deaths than breast cancer, but in women alone, breast cancer’s incidence rate is highest and death rate is second only to lung cancer. But, colon cancer is more deadly than breast cancer comparing the ratios of death rate to incidence rate. Lung cancer is the most deadly with an almost 1:1 ratio.
Based on these numbers, you would think that lung cancer would get the most attention and funding followed by colorectal cancer, then breast cancer. For women, the order according to death count is lung, breast, colorectal and for men it is lung, prostate, colorectal so there are gender differences that are diffusing efforts. But all of these cancers (except lung) suffer from societal prejudices which has been effecting how well we are attacking the problem. A major cause of lung cancer of course is smoking and the tobacco companies have traditionally denied this, and settle lawsuits with money and continue to sell their products and market to children.
Spending by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in $millions
| Cancer | 2005 actual |
2006 est. |
2007 est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breast | $560.1 | $557.3 | $551.1 |
| Prostate | $309.0 | $309.0 | $305.6 |
| Colorectal | $253.1 | $251.9 | $249.1 |
| Lung | $266.1 | $264.8 | $261.9 |
source NCI
This is actually in the exact opposite order according to the number of deaths reported and how deadly these diseases are. And I am assuming all things being equal that the most money should be going to the one that is killing the most people. This is indicative of the influence of lobbies and special interests.
| Five-year Survival Rates in %, US, 1975-2003 | |||
| Cancer | 1975-1977 | 1984-1986 | 1996-2003 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prostate | 69 | 76 | 99 |
| Breast | 75 | 79 | 89 |
| Colon | 51 | 59 | 65 |
| Lung and Bronchus | 13 | 13 | 16 |
source Cancer Statistics 2008 Presentation
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I wouldn’t ever make the argument that one cancer is worse than another - they’re all awful diseases. No one deserves cancer.
That said, one of the most disturbing facts I remember from the breast cancer project I worked on is that 60% of breast cancer cases can’t be tied to any one factor, such as lifestyle. That, to me was pretty frightening, because it suggested that breast cancer is a lot more arbitrary than something like lung cancer - you could live a healthy, responsible lifestyle and still get the disease.
In short, I’d say breast cancer is more of a threat to the general population than lung cancer is, even if it kills fewer people, because it’s more unpredictable.
Comment by Chris — 2008.09.02 @ 7:14 am
I don’t know where the bulk of their money goes. And more generally just don’t know what the hell I’m talking about, but offhand I’m not bugged that lung is getting an inverse allocation. It’s the least misunderstood, despite the tobacco industry. Unique in the clarity of cause and effect. Flip the allocations to the other three.
Comment by Brian — 2008.09.02 @ 10:02 pm
How many black one-named female singers will it take to end cancer? sounds like Rihanna, Beyonce, Ashanti and Ciara are already signed up. Sadly, Aaliyah is no longer with us. What’s up Brandy? Aren’t you going to help?
Comment by Shawn — 2008.09.03 @ 7:44 am