Childhood Cancer Death Rate Declines Sharply
http://www.thejournalofstudentministries.com/articles/105/1/Childhood-Cancer-Death-Rate-Declines-Sharply/Page1.html
Surfing the Current
By Surfing the Current
Published on 03/24/2008
The cancer death rate for children in the United States has declined sharply—down 20 percent from 1990 to 2004—thanks to better treatment of leukemia and other cancers, health officials said recently. Yet cancer still stands as the leading disease-related cause of death for U.S. children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report.
source: Reuters, December 6
The cancer death rate for children in the United States has declined sharply—down 20 percent from 1990 to 2004—thanks to better treatment of leukemia and other cancers, health officials said recently. Yet cancer still stands as the leading disease-related cause of death for U.S. children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report.
Better treatments are improving survival rates. The cancer death rate for U.S. children was 34.2 per million for those as old as 19 in 1990, but fell to 27.3 per million in 2004, the CDC said. This death rate has declined 1.7 percent per year during this period. “It’s not that we’re having less cancer diagnosed. The incidence rates, the new-case rates are the same. It’s just that we’re getting better survival,” said one CDC official.
There were 2,223 childhood cancer deaths in 2004, compared to 2,457 in 1990, the CDC said. The only greater causes of death for U.S. children were accidents, homicide, and suicide.
Better treatments are improving survival rates. The cancer death rate for U.S. children was 34.2 per million for those as old as 19 in 1990, but fell to 27.3 per million in 2004, the CDC said. This death rate has declined 1.7 percent per year during this period. “It’s not that we’re having less cancer diagnosed. The incidence rates, the new-case rates are the same. It’s just that we’re getting better survival,” said one CDC official.
There were 2,223 childhood cancer deaths in 2004, compared to 2,457 in 1990, the CDC said. The only greater causes of death for U.S. children were accidents, homicide, and suicide.