Please note: these data only pertain to disease incidence in the United States.

[ cancer deaths per year] [ all causes of death ] [ funding ] [ funding vs. cause ]

interesting  note
this page was last updated on 25 Aug 2003

From the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention: (PDF file) [ top ]
cause of death
deaths per year
men
women
lung cancer
167,000
99,000
68,000
colorectal cancer
48,000
23,100
24,600
breast cancer
44,300
prostate cancer
37,000
n/a 

From the NCI: Estimated New Cancer Cases and Deaths for 2003 (PDF file)
 
estimated new cases
estimated deaths
primary site
total
males
females
total
males
females
digestive system
     colon
252,400
105,500
132,300
49,000
120,100
56,500
133,600
-
71,900
-
61,700
-
respiratory system
     lung and bronchus
185,800
171,900
102,200
91,800
83,600
80,100
163,700
157,200
93,400
88,400
70,300
68,800
breast
212,600
1300
211,300
40,200
400
39,800
prostate
220,900
220,900
0
28,900
28,900
0


From the CDC: (PDF file) [ top ]
The 15 leading causes of death, final 2000 and preliminary 2001 (those were the only dates available in Aug 2003)
all causes
2,417,798
cardiovascular diseases
699,697
all cancers
553,251
cerebrovascular diseases
163,601
chronic lower respiratory diseases
123,974
accidents
97,707
diabetes mellitus
71,252
influenza and pneumonia
62,123
Alzheimer's
53,679
nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, nephrosis
39,661
septicemia
32,275
suicide
29,423
chronic liver disease, cirrhosis
26,751
homicide
19,727
primary hypertension, hypertensive renal disease
19,054
pneumonitis due to solids and liquids
17,392
all other causes
408,231


Interesting note: according to a Washington Post article of 23 March 2002, "[a]bout 458,000 Americans have died of AIDS and related causes." ("Related causes" was not further defined.) The story had to do with the disbanding of the Washington chapter of the NAMES project, which made the AIDS quilt. The chapter had been in existence for 13 years. It was projected that colorectal cancer would kill 56,700 people in 2001 alone. At that rate, it would take just over eight years for 458,000 Americans to die of colorectal cancer. Now look at the funding discrepancies between the two. (See particularly the second and third tables in that section.) Note also the discrepancies between funding for research on colorectal cancer and for other diseases,  not just AIDS, and each disease's standing as a killer.

CDC funding - presidential budget, 2003:  (PDF file) [ top ]
disease
FY 2003
presidential
budget
HIV/AIDS - (CDC-wide)
     Research & Domestic (CDC-wide)
     Global (CDC-wide)
$1,033,190,000
$789,427,000
$243,763,000
Emerging Infectious Disease
$292,850,000
Breast/Cervical Cancer
$201,065,000
National Occupational Research Agenda
$67,897,000
Diabetes
$61,480,000
Cancer Registries
$39,500,000
Syphilis Elimination
$37,413,000
Infertility
$30,186,000
Hepatitis C
$21,930,000
Vaccine Safety
$14,367,000
Prostate Cancer
$13,812,000
Arthritis
$13,803,000
Global Malaria
$13,000,000
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
$12,000,000
Colorectal Cancer
$11,838,000
Pfiesteria
$9,081,000
Autism
$8,000,000
Hantavirus/Special Pathogens
$7,022,000
Epilepsy
$6,527,000
Comprehensive Cancer
$4,691,000
Ovarian Cancer
$4,596,000
Radiation
$1,948,000
Skin Cancer
$1,647,000


NCI research spending, 2000: [ top ]
SPORE: Specialized Programs of Research Excellence
program
funding
SPORE funding
breast cancer
$438,700,000
$19,436,000
AIDS
$244,100,000
  
prostate cancer
$203,200,000
$10,335,000
colorectal cancer
$175,800,000
$4,245,000
(gastrointestinal)
lung cancer
$175,000,000
$6,400,000
leukemia
$141,700,000
  
ovarian cancer
$65,500,000
$7,790,000

overall CDC disease control and prevention funding, 2001:
program
funding
HIV/AIDS, STD, TB prevention
$1,044,070,000
chronic disease prevention and health promotion (see above)
$749,708,000
immunization
$552,572,000
infectious diseases control
$317,582,000
injury prevention and control
$142,832,000


Cause of death vs. funding: [ top ]
cause of death
rank as killer
(1997)
rank in funding
(CDC, 2001)
prevention
rank in funding
(NCI, 2000)
research
cardiovascular disease
1 overall
4
 
all cancers
  lung cancer
  colorectal cancer
  breast cancer
  prostate cancer
2 overall
-
2
-
4
-
2 (tobacco)
8
1
-
-
-
4
-
3
diabetes
7 overall
3
-
HIV
8 overall
 -
2


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