Within this broader context and coupled with simultaneous changes in the racial and ethnic composition of our populations, national trends in the U.S. cancer burden are in flux. Cancer is predominantly a disease of older Americans with 60 percent of all diagnosed cases and 70 percent of all cancer deaths occurring among persons 65 years and older. The median age at cancer diagnosis is 68 years of age and at 71 years of age for cancer death. A recent article showed that between 1990 and 1996, cancer incidence rates decreased an average of about 1 percent per year and mortality decreased an average of 0.6 percent per year. While the rates have decreased, the trends in number of cancer cases is more unpredictable, and the number of cancer deaths has increased because there are more people in the United States and the population is aging.
Program is the most authoritative source of information on cancer incidence and survival.
The SEER database has more than 2.5 million cases diagnosed between 1973 and 1997 from residents of selected regions that represent approximately 14 percent of the U.S. population. Geographic areas were selected for inclusion in SEER based on their ability to operate and maintain a high quality population-based reporting system and for their diverse population subgroups. The SEER areas are comparable to the general U.S. population with regard to measures of poverty and education, but tend to be more urban and have a higher proportion of foreign-born persons. In 2000, the NCI surveillance efforts are being expanded to cover a broader spectrum of the racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural diversity of our country. SEER will add up to 4 new population-based registries in geographic areas where minorities and medically underserved populations live.