Executive Summary
Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. If the spread is not controlled, it can result in death. Cancer is caused by both external (chemicals, radiation, and viruses) and internal (hormones, immune conditions, and inherited mutations) factors. Causal factors may act together or in sequence to initiate or promote cancers. Ten or more years often pass between exposures or mutations and detectable cancer. (1)
Cancer is very rare in children and young adults and is chiefly a disease of older people. Less than half of cases are diagnosed before the age of 65.
Based on the information from the American Cancer Society in Cancer Facts and Figures 1998, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease. (1) One of every four deaths in the United States is from cancer. Since 1990 there have been approximately 5 million deaths. There is a relative survival rate of 58% for all cancer. The relative survival rate refers to the observed or actual survival rate adjusted for normal life expectancy, factors such as dying of heart disease, accidents, and diseases of old age.
The financial costs of cancer are great both to the individual and to society as a whole. The National Cancer Institute estimates overall annual costs for cancer at $107 billion; $37 billion for direct medical costs, $11 billion for morbidity costs (cost of lost productivity), and $59 billion for mortality costs (the costs associated with death). Treatment of breast, lung, and prostate cancers account for over half of the direct medical costs. (1)
Nationally the overall cancer death rates declined on average by about 0.5 percent per year during 1990-1995. The decline in mortality was greater for men than for women. Both the rate of new lung cancer cases and lung cancer deaths are rising for women, in contrast to a drop in both incidence and mortality for men. (2) The number one cause of cancer death in the United States is cancer of the lung and bronchus. Nation-wide the most common type of cancer is prostate cancer for men and breast cancer for women. (8)
The number of cancer related deaths in Vanderburgh County reflect a decrease between the years 1994-1996. 1994 saw cancer deaths at 165.40 per 100,000 with a decrease to 137.75 per 100,000 by 1996. Throughout these three years cancer death related to respiratory causes remained the number one cancer causing death. The rate did improve from a high of 64.18 per 100,000 in 1994 to 42.37 per 100,000 in 1996.
The survival rate for lung cancer is bleak with just 32% of those diagnosed in 1992 in Vanderburgh County surviving one year. The percent of those surviving continues to drop and 1997 reveals a survival rate of only 8.5% for the same group diagnosed in 1992. The incidence of lung cancer in Vanderburgh County has increased for the years 1992-1997, however the incidence for males has not changed while the incidence for females has continued to increase. Breast cancer, colorectal cancer and invasive cervical cancer incidence have been on the increase over the five years reviewed while malignant melanoma and prostate cancer incidence have declined. The incidence of bladder cancer has remained relatively unchanged over the five years reviewed, however the age-adjusted death rate decreased slightly from 1994 to 1995 and then slightly increased again in 1996.
This report was prepared by the Partnership for Health
Care Information, a group of providers, health care providers and businesses
that work to provide the community with meaningful information regarding health
and health care services in the Evansville community. Led by the Dean of the
School of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of Southern Indiana,
the purpose of the Partnership is two-fold: 1) Provide health care information
to the community, and 2) Identify opportunities for improvement in the health
of the community. The Partnership for Health Care Information would like to
acknowledge the contribution made by the Evansville cancer registries: Deaconess
Hospital, Evansville Cancer Center, St. Mary’s Health Care Services and Welborn
Baptist Hospital.
For additional information you may contact The University of Southern Indiana
School of Nursing and Health Professions at 465-1181 or visit their website
at http://health.usi.edu.
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Members of the Partnership for Health Care Information include:
The University of Southern Indiana
The Evansville Cancer Center
Tri-State Business Group on Health
The Vanderburgh County Medical Society
St. Mary’s Health Care Services
Deaconess Hospital
Welborn Baptist Hospital
Compiled by the Partnership for Healthcare Information
February, 1999