5 cancer types where screenings save the most lives

Early detection is widely seen as key to cancer survival, which is why screenings and prevention are so widely recommended.

And the message seems to be getting across, according to a study led by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) and published in JAMA Oncology.

Researchers found that over a 45-year span — between 1975 and 2020 — improvements in cancer screenings and prevention strategies have reduced deaths from five common cancers more than any advances in treatments.

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"In fact, prevention and screening interventions accounted for eight out of 10 deaths averted," co-lead investigator Katrina A. B. Goddard, Ph.D., director of NCI’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences in Maryland, told Fox News Digital via email.

Over a 45-year span — between 1975 and 2020 — improvements in cancer screenings and prevention strategies have reduced deaths from five common cancers more than any advances in treatments. (iStock)

Using the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) and cancer mortality data, the study analyzed death rates and screenings for five cancer types: breast, cervical, colorectal, lung and prostate.

A total of 5.94 million deaths were prevented for those five disease types, according to an NCI press release. Eighty percent of those averted deaths were attributed to screening and prevention.

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Below are the averted deaths for each individual type of cancer.

- Breast cancer: 250,000 deaths

- Lung cancer: 3,381,000 deaths

- Cervical cancer: 160,000

- Colorectal cancer: 743,000

- Prostate cancer: 201,600

"In recent years, these five cancers have made up nearly half of all new cancer diagnoses and deaths," said Goddard.

"Prevention and screening interventions accounted for eight out of 10 deaths averted."

Prevention and screening beat out treatment advances in terms of preventing deaths for cervical, colorectal, lung and prostate cancers.

Breast cancer was the only type for which treatment advances prevented more deaths.

Quitting smoking was found to be the most beneficial prevention strategy overall, credited for averting 3.45 million lung cancer deaths.

Breast cancer was the only type for which treatment advances prevented more deaths. (iStock)

"This study provides strong evidence to support the benefits of prevention and screening for these cancers," Goddard said. 

"For people wanting to act on this information, I suggest they talk to their health care providers about what steps they may want to take to help prevent and screen for cancer."

Potential limitations

The study had some limitations, the researchers acknowledged.

First, the five cancer types represented less than half of all cancer deaths.

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"The findings for these cancers may not necessarily apply to other cancers — especially those for which there are not effective prevention, screening or treatment interventions," noted Goddard.

"It’s also worth noting that the findings are based on population averages in the United States and may not be generalizable to specific population groups."

Quitting smoking was found to be the most beneficial prevention strategy overall, credited for averting 3.45 million lung cancer deaths. (iStock)

The study also looked at mortality and did not include other measures, such as quality of life.

Finally, the researchers did not take into account potential risks of screenings, such as false positives and overdiagnosis.

Reducing risk for specific cancers

Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, agreed that cancer screenings are "crucial," along with advances in treatment. 

For breast cancer, he emphasized the importance of early intervention and advanced treatment modalities.

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"Aggressive treatments, including lumpectomy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy, have saved lives," Siegel told Fox News Digital. "Also digital mammography, and increased use of ultrasound and MRI where needed." 

To reduce lung cancer deaths, the biggest impact is reduced smoking, Siegel reiterated.

"We need to optimize the uptake and use of prevention and screening for these five cancers so that all Americans can benefit."

"Also improved imaging, earlier screening, chemo followed by immunotherapy, and now the use of robotics for earlier surgical intervention."

For colon cancer, colonoscopy combines screening with treatment (polypectomy), "which has changed the playing field," the doctor noted.

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To reduce the risk of cervical cancer deaths, Siegel recommends getting the Pap test and the HPV vaccine, as well as the removal of any precancerous lesions found during screening. 

"For prostate cancer, I am a believer in the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test, so am glad to see this statistic," he told Fox News Digital. 

"For prostate cancer, I am a believer in the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test, so am glad to see this statistic," one doctor told Fox News Digital.  (iStock)

"PSA is a tool to guide you and not an automatic biopsy. MRI, biopsy, robotic surgery and various forms of radiation treatments have all saved many lives."

Siegel also noted that screening and interventions guided by artificial intelligence will likely save many lives across all kinds of cancers.

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"We need to optimize the uptake and use of prevention and screening for these five cancers so that all Americans can benefit, especially underserved populations, as well as develop novel prevention and screening strategies to avert deaths due to other, very lethal cancers, such as those of the pancreas and ovary," stated co-lead investigator Philip E. Castle, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of NCI’s Division of Cancer Prevention, in the NCI press release.