Rising cancer rates among women

The American Cancer Society recently reported more Americans are surviving cancer, but the disease is striking young- and middle-aged adults and women more frequently, specifically between the ages of 50 and 64. The study also shows Black and Native Americans are dying of some cancers at rates two to three times higher than those among white Americans.

Rick J. Bold, M.D., the Site Director at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, AZ, joined us on “Arizona Horizon” to discuss these rates and diagnoses.

These trends represent a marked change for an illness that has long been considered a disease of aging and which used to affect far more men than women. The shifts reflect declines in smoking-related cancers and prostate cancer among older men and a disconcerting rise in cancer in people born since the 1950s.

“For example, colon cancer, if we find a polyp, we remove it during the colonoscopy and it never develops into cancer. So when people are getting their colonoscopy, not only is it screening but preventing subsequent cancer,” Dr. Bold said.

Some communities experience cancer deaths faster than others due to limited accessibility. Colonoscopies, mammograms, and more screenings are only available to those with healthcare access, which limits some communities in the U.S. to treat cancer early and successfully.

“There’s a lot of contributing things; environment, food, obesity, activity, all of these things really add together,” Dr. Bold said.

He says there is progressive work at the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center to “develop blood tests that cover a spectrum of cancer,” which will help identify all ten cancers in one test. Six out of those ten cancers are on the upswing.

“We’re using the immune system to treat cancer, we’re doing specialized radiation, we’re doing surgery that really wasn’t always possible. So, we’re both increasing the tools to catch cancer early and then better treat it to increase quality and length of life,” Dr. Bold said.

He confirmed these tools and forms of treatment have been successful.