The American Cancer Society’s annual trend report is out with some mixed results. Cancer deaths are down but cases among certain groups are up.
Jamil Rivers, a South Jersey mother of two, was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer when she was 39.
“When I heard those words, cancer was devastating because my youngest was in kindergarten at the time,” Rivers said.
She’s part of a growing trend of young people being diagnosed with cancer.
“The only age group where we’re seeing actually an increase in cancer risk and incidence going up is under the age of 50,” Dr. William L. Dahut, the American Cancer Society’s Chief Scientific Officer, said.
The American Cancer Society’s annual report says there’s also been a gender shift in cancer cases.
“Now we see for the first time, if you’re a woman under the age of 65, you’re now more likely to develop cancer than a man,” Dahut said.
The report also says Native American and Black people continue to have higher rates of cancer and death.
“Disparities and inequities, I think, are rampant in our healthcare system,” Rivers said.
The new report says there’s continued progress on death rates dropping 34% over the past three decades — still more than half a million cancer deaths are expected this year.
“The number of cancer deaths that would be really the equivalent of losing two mid-sized cities in this country,” Dahut said.
Doctors say staying healthy is the best way to prevent cancer, along with getting the recommended screenings.
“Cancer is clarifying and makes you appreciate everything so much more, not just life, but my quality of life,” Rivers said.
Rivers says she’s learning to live with metastatic cancer and she has a nonprofit to help other women and advocate for better equity.
