Cancer prevention not fully recovered from pandemic era declines, study says
Screening for breast and colon cancers has rebounded after decreasing or stalling during pandemic-era lockdowns, researchers reported Wednesday in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
And, despite the pandemic, smoking rates have continued to go down, researchers said.
However, cervical cancer screening remains lower than pre-pandemic levels, and the HPV vaccination rate has not increased since the pandemic, researchers found.
Other major cancer risk factors like excess weight, physical inactivity and heavy alcohol use did not budge during the pandemic, marking a lack of progress, the study said.
"Cancer prevention and early detection are central to the American Cancer Society's goal to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer," lead researcher Dr. Priti Bandi, scientific director of cancer risk factors and screening surveillance research at the ACS, said in a news release.
"These latest findings are encouraging, mainly the reduction in smoking rates and screening for certain cancers, but it's clear urgent efforts are needed to address lagging cervical cancer prevention," Bandi added.
An estimated 40% of U.S. cancer cases are attributable to risk factors that people can change, researchers said.
These factors include smoking, excess weight, diet, exercise, exposure to ultraviolet radiation and infection with seven cancer-causing germs like HPV.
Cancer screening tests prevent thousands of cases and deaths every year, by detecting cancers in people with risk factors, researchers said.
For this new study, researchers analyzed data from four federal health surveys that track different cancer risk factors.
Results showed that:
Cigarette smoking declined to 11% in 2023, but menthol cigarettes and flavored tobacco products continued to make tobacco use more appealing to young people, Black individuals and bisexual folks.
Breast cancer screening exceeded pre-pandemic levels, with 80% of eligible women undergoing the procedure after a decline during the pandemic.
Colon cancer screening also increased in 2023, with 60% of eligible people being screened, including 54% undergoing colonoscopy and 11% stool testing.
Cervical cancer screening remained below pre-pandemic levels at 73%, continuing a decline dating to the early 2000s.
HPV vaccination rates among teens 13 to 17 years of age remained flat between 2021 and 2023 at 61%, reflecting pandemic-era disruptions.
Excess body weight in adults remains high, with 40% obese and 32% overweight.
Less than half of adults (48%) meet recommended physical activity levels, and more than a quarter (27%) reported no leisure-time exercise.
Heavy alcohol use remained stable at about 6% of the population, but was disproportionally higher among middle-aged people.
"Our report underscores the need to strengthen efforts to improve access and receipt of preventive services, including cancer screening, HPV vaccination, and counseling and treatment for tobacco dependence," senior researcher Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, senior vice president of surveillance and health equity science at the ACS, said in a news release.
However, ACS experts said these advances against cancer could be reversed if the Trump administration undermines staffing and funding of federal health agencies.
"These findings only further prove how investments in tobacco control have helped reduce the number of people falling prey to Big Tobacco's deadly products and practices," Lisa Lacasse, president of the ACS Cancer Action Network, said in a news release.
"Federal agencies have played a major role in helping to drive the successful reduction of smoking rates through critical tobacco control programs and funding," she continued. "We are deeply concerned that recent cuts to these important agencies will jeopardize continued progress to reduce tobacco utilization nationwide."
More information
The American Cancer Society has more on cancer risk assessment.
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