title: Meeting the Healthy People 2020 Objectives to Reduce Cancer Mortality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) calls for a 10% to 15% reduction in death rates from 2007 to 2020 for selected cancers. Trends in death rates can be used to predict progress toward meeting HP2020 targets.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used mortality data from 1975 through 2009 and population estimates and projections to predict deaths for all cancers and the top 23 cancers among men and women by race. We apportioned changes in deaths from population risk and population growth and aging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 1975 to 2009, the number of cancer deaths increased among white and black Americans primarily because of an aging white population and a growing black population. Overall, age-standardized cancer death rates (risk) declined in all groups. From 2007 to 2020, rates are predicted to continue to decrease while counts of deaths are predicted to increase among men (15%) and stabilize among women (increase <10%). Declining death rates are predicted to meet HP2020 targets for cancers of the female breast, lung and bronchus, cervix and uterus, colon and rectum, oral cavity and pharynx, and prostate, but not for melanoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cancer deaths among women overall are predicted to increase by less than 10%, because of, in part, declines in breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer deaths among white women. Increased efforts to promote cancer prevention and improve survival are needed to counter the impact of a growing and aging population on the cancer burden and to meet melanoma target death rates.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, Mailstop F76, Atlanta, GA 30341. Email: hbw4@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Hannah K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Weir
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Trevor D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: Northrop Grumman Corporation, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Ashwini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soman
authors.affiliation: Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Bjorn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Møller
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leadbetter
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Mary C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019352:Censuses; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D040361:Healthy People Programs; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000208:ethnology / Q000639:trends*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D011158:Population Growth; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D018426:SEER Program; D012737:Sex Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult; D001741:Black or African American