Each year, the American Cancer Society estimates the number of new cancer cases and deaths expected in the United States in the current year and compiles the most recent data on cancer incidence, mortality, and survival based on incidence data from the National Cancer Institute and mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics. among women. The mortality rate has also continued to decrease from the three most common cancer sites in men (lung and bronchus, colon and rectum, and prostate) and from breast and colorectal cancers in women. Lung cancer mortality among women has leveled off after increasing for many decades. In analyses by race and ethnicity, African American men and women have 40% and 20% higher death rates from all cancers combined than White men and women, respectively. Cancer incidence and death rates are lower in other racial and ethnic groups than in Whites and African Americans for all sites combined and for the four major cancer sites. However, these groups generally have higher rates for stomach, liver, and cervical cancers than Whites. Furthermore, minority populations are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage disease than are Whites. Progress in reducing the burden of suffering and death from cancer can be accelerated by applying existing cancer control knowledge across all segments of the population. (CA Cancer J Clin 2005;55:10 -30.)

Each year, the American Cancer Society estimates the number of new cancer cases and deaths expected in the United States in the current year and compiles the most recent data on cancer incidence, mortality, and survival rates based on incidence data from the National Cancer Institute and mortality data from the National Center for Health Statis- Americans for all sites combined and for the four major cancer sites. However, these groups generally have higher rates for stomach, liver, and cervical cancers than do Whites. Furthermore, minority populations are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage disease than are Whites. Progress in reducing the burden from cancer can be accelerated by applying existing cancer control knowledge into practice among all segments of the population. (CA Cancer

Each year, the American Cancer Society estimates the number of new cancer cases and deaths expected in the United States in the current year, and compiles the most recent data on cancer incidence, mortality, and survival by using incidence data from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Incidence and death rates are age adjusted to the 2000 US standard population. In the year 2003, we estimate that 1,334,100 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed, and 556,500 people will die from cancer in the United States. Age‐adjusted cancer death rates declined in both males and females in the 1990s, though the magnitude of decline is substantially higher in males than in females. In contrast, incidence rates continued to increase in females while stabilizing in males. African‐American males showed the largest decline for mortality. However, African Americans still carry the highest burden of cancer with diagnosis of cancer at a later stage and poorer survival within each stage compared with Whites. In spite of the continued decline in cancer death rates in the most recent time period, the total number of recorded cancer deaths in the United States continues to increase slightly due to the aging and expanding population.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) publishes Nutrition and Physical ActivityGuidelines to serve as a foundation for its communication, policy, and community strategies and ultimately, to affect dietary and physical activity patterns among Americans. These Guidelines, published every 5 years, are developed by a national panel of experts in cancer research, prevention, epidemiology, public health, and policy, and as such, they represent the most current scientific evidence related to dietary and activity patterns and cancer risk. The ACS Guidelines include recommendations for individual choices regarding diet and physical activity patterns, but those choices occur within a community context that either facilitates or interferes with healthy behaviors. Community efforts are essential to create a social environment that promotes healthy food choices and physical activity. Therefore, this committee presents one key recommendation for community action to accompany the four recommendations for individual choices to reduce cancer risk. This recommendation for community action recognizes that a supportive social environment is indispensable if individuals at all levels of society are to have genuine opportunities to choose healthy behaviors. The ACS Guidelines are consistent with guidelines from

The American Cancer Society provides estimates on the number of new cancer cases and deaths, and compiles health statistics on African Americans in a biennial publication, Cancer Facts and Figures for African Americans. The compiled statistics include cancer incidence, mortality, survival, and lifestyle behaviors using the most recent data on incidence and survival from the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), and behavioral information from the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), and National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). It is estimated that 132,700 new cases of cancer and 63,100 deaths will occur among African Americans in the year 2003. Although African Americans have experienced higher incidence and mortality rates of cancer than whites for many years, incidence rates have declined by 2.7 percent per year in African‐American males since 1992, while stabilizing in African‐American females. During the same period, death rates declined by 2.1 percent and 0.4 percent per year among African‐American males and females, respectively. The decrease in both incidence and death rates from cancer among African‐American males was the largest of any racial or ethnic group. Nonetheless, African Americans still carry the highest cancer burden among US racial and ethnic groups. Most cancers detectable by screening are diagnosed at a later stage and survival rates are lower within each stage of disease in African Americans than in whites. The extent to which these disparities reflect unequal access to health care versus other factors is an active area of research.