Frequently Asked Questions

Cancer in Missouri

How Many New Cases of Cancer Will Occur This Year in Missouri?
Who is at Risk of Developing Cancer?
Can Cancer Be Cured?
What is the Economic Burden of Cancer in Missouri?
Could More People Be Saved?

More Frequently Asked Questions

How Many New Cases of Cancer Will Occur This Year in Missouri?
In 2005, approximately 30,210 Missourians are expected to be diagnosed with cancer and about 12,550 are expected to die of the disease according to the American Cancer Society. This amounts to more than three new cases of cancer diagnosed every hour of every day. These estimates exclude non-melanoma skin cancer and carcinoma in situ* (for sites other than the urinary bladder).

(*Carcinoma in situ: An early stage of cancer in which the cancer is still only in the structures of the organ where it developed and the disease has not invaded other parts of the organ or spread. Most are highly curable. Also called cancer in situ or preinvasive cancer.)

Who is at Risk of Developing Cancer?
Anyone in Missouri is at risk of developing cancer. Although cancer may strike at any age, it is mostly a disease of middle and old age. About 78.2 percent of all cancers in Missourians are diagnosed at age 55 or older. With an average of 12,230 deaths each year during 1999-2003, cancer is second only to heart disease (average of 19,421 deaths annually) as the leading cause of death among adults in Missouri. (Source: DHSS-MICA)

Can Cancer Be Cured?
Yes. In general, if a person’s cancer has been in remission for five years (all signs and symptoms of the disease are absent), the cancer is considered cured. However, cancer may still recur after this time period. The length of remission at which a person is considered cured differs for various kinds of cancer. Certain types of skin cancer are considered cured as soon as the lesion is removed. With other cancers, eight to ten years must pass before the person is considered cured.

The average 5-year relative survival for all cancers for the period 1995-2000 is 64%. (Source: ACS Facts and Figures 2005)

What is the Economic Burden of Cancer in Missouri?
While the most important cost of cancer is the loss of lives, the huge economic burden of cancer cannot be ignored. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that the direct and indirect cost of cancer in the United States was $189.8 billion in 2004. This estimate includes about $69.4 billion in medical costs and $103.5 billion for lost productivity. This means that with a population of 5.7 million, the economic cost for cancer in Missouri was $3.7 billion, or approximately $627 for each Missourian.

According to a recent study, medical costs for cancer steadily increased from 1963 to 1995, amounting to billions of additional dollars. This is partly due to the emergence of more expensive treatment modalities for each type of cancer. With the continuing development of new therapies and the increasing elderly population in Missouri, the cost is expected to increase substantially during the next decade.

Could More People Be Saved?
Yes. More than half of cancers are preventable by taking advantage of current knowledge. According to the American Cancer Society, one-third of cancer deaths can be prevented through lifestyle changes such as:

• Eliminating tobacco use and avoiding secondhand smoke
• Improving dietary habits
• Exercising regularly; about 30 minutes a day
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Avoiding exposure to the sun’s rays
• Obtaining cancer-screening tests

Certain cancers that are related to infectious exposures such a Hepatitis B, human papillomavirus (HPV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), helicobacter pylori*, and others, could be prevented with behavioral changes, vaccines and antibiotics.

(*Helicobacter pylori. Bacteria that cause inflammation and ulcers in the stomach.)

Smoking causes about 30 percent of all U.S. cancer deaths. Avoiding tobacco use is the single most important step Americans can take to reduce the cancer burden in this country. Key aspects of improving nutrition include modifying diets to lower consumption of animal fat; increasing consumption of grains, fiber, fruits and vegetables, and limiting alcohol use.

Early diagnosis saves lives by identifying cancers when they are most curable. Five-year relative survival rates for common cancers such as breast, prostate, colorectal, cervical and melanoma of the skin are 90 to 100 percent, if they are discovered and treated before spreading beyond the organ where the cancer began. Screening for several cancers has been shown to be effective but is underutilized.

To find out more about cancer in Missouri and what you can do, click on Publications.