NIH modeling study looked at the individual and combined impacts of cancer prevention, screening, and treatment.
When considering each cancer site individually, prevention and screening accounted for most deaths averted for cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer, whereas treatment advances accounted for most deaths averted from breast cancer.
Of these, prevention and screening interventions accounted for 4.75 million, or 80%, of the averted deaths.
Other opportunities for reducing cancer deaths include making screening more accessible, such as with HPV tests that allow for self-collection, and developing new treatments.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
An NIH modeling study examined the effects of cancer screening, prevention, and treatment separately and in combination.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers led a modeling study that found that over the past 45 years, improvements in cancer prevention and screening have prevented more deaths from five cancer types combined than advancements in treatment. The study was released in December. 5, 2024, in JAMA Oncology, examined the number of deaths from colorectal, lung, prostate, breast, and cervical cancer that could have been prevented through improved screening, prevention, and treatment. These five cancers were the focus of the study because they are among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths and because there are methods for preventing, detecting, and/or treating them early on. These five cancers account for almost half of all new cancer diagnoses and deaths in recent years.
Co-lead investigator Katrina A. stated, “The surprise here is how much prevention and screening contribute to reductions in mortality, even though many people may believe that treatment advances are the major driver of reductions in mortality from these five cancers combined.”. 3. Goddard, P.H. A. director of the Cancer Control and Population Sciences Division at NCI. Over the previous 45 years, advancements in screening and prevention have prevented eight out of ten deaths from these five cancers. “”.
A single preventive measure, quitting smoking, was responsible for the majority of the deaths prevented, which included 345 million deaths from lung cancer alone. For cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer, the majority of deaths averted were due to screening and prevention, while the majority of deaths averted from breast cancer were due to advancements in treatment.
“It’s crucial that we combine successful screening and prevention strategies with advancements in treatment to lower cancer death rates,” stated W. M.D Kimryn Rathmell. The Ph. D. NCI director. In order to maintain this momentum and, ideally, expand the application of these strategies throughout the United States, this study will assist us in identifying the tactics that have been most successful in lowering cancer-related deaths. “.”.
The researchers calculated the relative contributions of screening, prevention, and treatment advancements to deaths prevented from breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers between 1975 and 2020 using statistical models and cancer mortality data.
The modeling indicated that between 1975 and 2020, a total of 5.94 million deaths were prevented due to these five cancers. Of these, 475 million, or 80%, of the deaths that were prevented were due to screening and prevention measures.
The separate roles of screening, prevention, and treatment differed depending on the type of cancer.
Between 1975 and 2020, 1 million deaths (out of 2 to 71 million that would have happened if all interventions had not been implemented) were prevented due to breast cancer; three-quarters of these deaths were prevented due to advancements in treatment, and the remaining deaths were prevented due to mammography screening.
Out of 9 point 2 million lung cancer deaths, 98 percent were prevented by tobacco control measures, with the remaining deaths being caused by advancements in treatment.
The 160,000 deaths from cervical cancer that were prevented (out of 370,000) were all due to cervical cancer screening (i.e. e. testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) and Pap) and removing precancerous lesions.
In colorectal cancer, screening and removal of precancerous polyps accounted for 79 percent of the 940,000 deaths prevented (out of 345 million), with treatment advancements accounting for the remaining 21 percent.
PSA test screening contributed 56% of the 360,000 deaths prevented from prostate cancer (out of 1.015 million), while advancements in treatment contributed 44%.
“These results indicate that we must maintain robust strategies and approaches in each of these domains,” Dr. Dot Goddard said. “We are reducing cancer mortality through more than just prevention and screening or advancements in treatment. “”.
Although they could further lower cancer death rates, the authors noted that more recent screening and prevention methods, such as HPV vaccination and lung cancer screening, were not widely used during the study period. Improving access to screening, such as through self-collection HPV tests, and creating novel treatments are additional ways to lower the number of cancer-related deaths.
Less than half of all cancer deaths occur at the five cancer sites that were included in the study, and the authors noted that the results for these cancers might not be applicable to other cancers, particularly those for which there are no effective screening, prevention, or treatment strategies.
Co-lead investigator Philip E. said, “We need to develop new prevention and screening strategies to prevent deaths from other, very lethal cancers, like those of the pancreas and ovary, and maximize the uptake and use of prevention and screening for these five cancers so that all Americans, especially underserved populations, can benefit.”. Castle, Ph. A. MdotP. A. director of the Division of Cancer Prevention at NCI.
Furthermore, the authors pointed out that the results might not apply to particular population groups because they are based on US population averages. Furthermore, the study did not measure other outcomes like quality of life or take into account the possible negative effects of interventions, such as false-positive results and overdiagnosis during screening.
About the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Through prevention and cancer biology research, new intervention development, and training and mentoring of new researchers, NCI leads the National Cancer Program and NIH’s efforts to significantly lower the prevalence of cancer and improve the lives of cancer patients and their families. You can find out more about cancer by visiting the NCI website at cancer.gov or by calling the Cancer Information Service, NCI’s contact center, at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is part of the United States and is the country’s medical research agency. It consists of 27 Institutes and Centers. S. Human Services Department. The main federal organization involved in basic, clinical, and translational medical research, NIH is looking into the causes, therapies, and cures of both common and uncommon diseases. Go to www.nih.gov to learn more about NIH and its initiatives.
