Research Notebook

Report: Prostate Cancer, Breast Cancer Leading Newly Diagnosed Cancers

A federal report using the most recent statistics available says that prostate cancer is the leading cancer diagnosed in American men and breast cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in U.S. women. The leading cause of cancer death for both men and women is lung cancer.

The report, titled United States Cancer Statistics: 2001 Incidence and Mortality, includes quality-assured incidence data from 43 states, six metropolitan areas, and the District of Columbia, covering 92 percent of the U.S. population. The report supplies essential state, population, racial, ethnic, and gender information to support tailored cancer prevention and control programs nationwide.

The comprehensive report on state-specific cancer rates includes for the first time information on incidence and death rates, as well as data for Hispanics and a new section on mesothelioma and Kaposi's sarcoma.

"Having highly accurate data about which cancers most commonly strike specific groups, such as the Hispanic population, means we can better meet prevention, care and treatment needs," says Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson. "We know from the report that breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for Hispanic women. Breaking out data by racial and ethnic populations, we have a broader and more accurate view of our nation's cancer problem ... ."

Major findings in the report include:

The District of Columbia has the highest incidence rate of prostate cancer, and Arizona has the lowest.
Washington State has the highest incidence rate of female breast cancer, and Texas has the lowest.
Utah has the lowest lung cancer incidence rate among men and women.
Kentucky has the highest incidence rate of colorectal cancer among men, and New Jersey has the highest incidence rate among women. Utah has the lowest colorectal cancer incidence rate among men and women.
The report also cites geographic differences in cancer mortality, including:
The District of Columbia has the highest prostate cancer death rate among men; Hawaii has the lowest.
The District of Columbia has the highest female breast cancer death rate; South Dakota has the lowest.
Kentucky has the highest death rate of lung cancer among men.
West Virginia has the highest lung cancer death rate among women.
The District of Columbia has the highest colorectal cancer death rates among men and women; Utah has the lowest.

Collecting and reporting state data helps identify special concerns in specific populations, such as high proportions of cervical cancer in Hispanic and black women. This information can be used to help states focus appropriate cancer control interventions to increase access to screening and care.

United States Cancer Statistics: 2001 Incidence and Mortality marks the third time the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute, in collaboration with the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, have combined data to produce federal cancer statistics. The annual report provides a basis for individual states and researchers to describe the variability in cancer incidence and death rates across different populations and to focus on certain populations for evidence-based cancer-control programs. Future United States Cancer Statistics reports will include data for American Indians/Alaska Natives. The full report is available at www.cdc.gov/cancer/ and www.seer.cancer.gov/statistics/.

Americans Slightly Taller, Much Heavier Than 40 Years Ago

Adult Americans are roughly an inch taller than they were in 1960, but they are nearly 25 pounds heavier on average, according to a report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The report, Mean Body Weight, Height, and Body Mass Index (BMI) 1960-2002: United States, shows that the average height of men ages 20-74 increased from just over 5 feet 8 inches in 1960 to 5 feet 9 1/2 inches in 2002, while the average height of women the same ages increased from slightly over 5 feet 3 inches in 1960 to 5 feet 4 inches in 2002.

Meanwhile, the average weight for men ages 20-74 rose dramatically, from about 166 pounds in 1960 to 191 pounds in 2002. The average weight for women the same ages increased from about 140 pounds in 1960 to 164 pounds in 2002.

The report, issued in October 2004, indicates that the average weight for men in 2002 compared to 1960 increased more among older men:

Men ages 40-49 were nearly 27 pounds heavier.
Men ages 50-59 were nearly 28 pounds heavier.
Men ages 60-74 were almost 33 pounds heavier.

For women, the near opposite trend occurred when comparing average weight in 2002 with that in 1960:

Women ages 20-29 were nearly 29 pounds heavier.
Women ages 40-49 were about 25.5 pounds heavier.
Women ages 60-74 were about 17.5 pounds heavier.

The report also documented a slight increase--less than an inch--in average heights for children over the last four decades. However, average weights for children increased significantly:

Ten-year-old boys in 1963 weighed 74.2 pounds on average; by 2002 the group's average weight was nearly 85 pounds.
Similarly, the average weight for 10-year-old girls in 1963 was 77.4 pounds; by 2002 their average weight was nearly 88 pounds.
The average weight for 15-year-old boys in 1966 was 135.5 pounds; by 2002 their average weight was 150.3 pounds.
Fifteen-year-old girls on average weighed 124.2 pounds in 1966; by 2002 their average weight was 134.4 pounds.

Average body mass index (BMI) has also increased among adults from about 25 in 1960 to 28 in 2002. BMI is a number that represents an individual's weight in relation to height. BMI is generally used as the first indicator in assessing body fat and has been the most common method of tracking weight problems and obesity among adults. A BMI of 18.5 to 25 refers to a healthy weight, those with a BMI of 25 to 30 are considered overweight, and people with a BMI of 30 or higher are classified as obese.

The average BMI for children and teens has increased as well:

In 1963, the average BMI for 7-year-old boys was 15.9; in 2002 it was 17.0. For girls the same age, the average BMI increased from 15.8 to 16.6 over the same period.
In 1966, the average BMI for 16-year-old boys was 21.3; in 2002, it was 24.1. For girls the same age, the average BMI increased from 21.9 to 24.0 over the same period.

The data in the report were based on actual body measurements taken as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics has conducted periodically since 1960.

For More Information

Mean Body Weight, Height, and Body Mass Index (BMI) 1960-2002: United States (620 KB PDF file)

www.cdc.gov/nchs/

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