Pancreatic cancer has emerged as the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, contributing to the growing prevalence and mortality associated with cancer. Recent data indicates that nearly 40% of individuals will be diagnosed with invasive cancer at some point in their lifetime. Although there was a notable 34% decrease in cancer deaths between 1991 and 2022, cancer remains the second-leading cause of death in the country, trailing only heart disease.
The likelihood of being diagnosed with invasive cancer varies significantly based on age and gender. For individuals born to age 49, males face a 3.4% risk, while females have a 5.9% risk. This disparity continues across age groups, with women generally facing higher odds than men. For those aged 50-64, men have an 11.3% chance of diagnosis compared to 10.8% for women. The risk escalates for those aged 65-84, with men at 31.3% and women at 24.2%. Among individuals aged 85 or older, the odds stand at 18.7% for men and 14.1% for women.
In particular, women under the age of 65 are more susceptible to lung cancer compared to their male counterparts. The risk of being diagnosed with invasive cancer is especially high for women aged 49 and younger, with at least 1 in 17 expected to receive a diagnosis by their 50th birthday.
“However, this progress is tempered by rising incidence in young and middle-aged women, who are often the family caregivers, and a shifting cancer burden from men to women, harkening back to the early 1900s when cancer was more common in women,”
- Rebecca Siegel, MPH, a senior scientific director at the American Cancer Society.
Pancreatic cancer poses a particularly grim prognosis, with only an 8% chance of surviving at least five years post-diagnosis. This stark statistic underscores the critical need for early detection and effective treatment options.
The findings draw from estimates during the years 2018, 2019, and 2021, highlighting trends that may guide future research and healthcare policies.
Leave a Reply