The American Cancer Society (ACS) says it expects more than 2 million new U.S. cancer cases this year, the highest one-year total ever, with rising rates for six of the 10 most common cancers. In Colorado, 29,430 new cancers are projected in 2024.
The annual ACS report, “Cancer Facts & Figures 2024,” released Jan. 17, also says colorectal cancer – a disease that traditionally has been associated with people over age 50 – has emerged as the No. 1 cause of cancer deaths among American men under age 50 and No. 2 among women below that age, up from No. 4 for both sexes below age 50 in the 1990s.
The report notes that the overall cancer death rate has declined by about one-third over the last 30 years. Even so, more than 611,000 deaths from cancer are projected in the U.S. this year.
To help us understand the report, we turned to Andrea (Andi) Dwyer, program director of the Colorado Cancer Screening Program at the University of Colorado Cancer Center.