Better screening and treatment modalities for colon cancer could result in a dramatic drop in the death rate, reported top researchers in the US.

An annual report produced by the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries showed that US cancer death rates for all cancers has continued to decline since the 1990s. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a primary focus of the report which was published in early December 2009 in the journal Cancer. The report discusses the growing success against CRC which has seen a reduction in mortality of approximately 20% over the past 10 years. The researchers predict that the CRC death rate will continue to drop and, by 2020, may be half of what it was in 2000. The prediction is based on accelerated use of CRC screening, improved chemotherapy & biotherapy treatment for the disease, and a decline in lifestyle behaviors such as smoking and red meat consumption that increase the risk of CRC.

Edwards BK, Ward W, Kohler BA et al. Annual report to the nation on the status of cancer, 1975-2006, featuring colorectal cancer trends and impact of interventions (risk factors, screening, and treatment) to reduce future rates. Cancer. 2010; published online 12/7/09. doi: 10.1002/cncr.24760.  Link to the article:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/123206036/PDFSTART

The full text article is also available on the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Web site at http://seer.cancer.gov/report_to_nation/