| Demographic Group: | All resident persons. |
| Numerator: | Deaths with International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 codes C00–C97 (ICD-9 codes 140–208) as the underlying cause of death among residents during a calendar year. |
| Denominator: | Midyear resident population for the same calendar year. |
| Measures of Frequency: | Annual number of deaths. Annual mortality rate — crude and age-adjusted (standardized by the direct method to the year 2000 standard U.S. population based on single years of age from the Census P25-1130 series estimates*) — with 95% confidence interval. |
| Time Period of Case Definition: | Calendar year. |
| Background: | During 2001, cancer was the second leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for approximately 553,400 deaths. Approximately 1.3 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed annually. Approximately one in two males and one in three females will have a diagnosis of cancer during their lifetime. |
| Significance: | Morbidity or mortality from cancers of the lung, colon and rectum, female breast, cervix, oral cavity and pharynx, and multiple other cancers can be reduced through known interventions. Information on cancer at all sites combined provides a measure of, and means of tracking, the substantial burden imposed by cancer. |
| Limitations of Indicator: | Cancer is not a single disease, but rather numerous diseases with different causes, risks, and potential interventions. Interpretation of increases or decreases in cancer mortality can be made only by examination of specific types of cancers. Because certain cancers have a long latency period, years might pass before changes in behavior or clinical practice patterns affect cancer mortality. In addition, certain cancers are not amenable to primary prevention or screening. |
| Data Resources: | Death certificate data from vital statistics agencies (numerator) and population estimates from the U.S. Bureau of the Census or suitable alternative (denominator).
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/uscs/Table.aspx?Group=TableGeo&Year=2001&Display=n |
| Limitations of Data Resources: | Causes of death and other variables listed on the death certificate might be inaccurate. |
| Healthy People 2010 Objectives: | 3-1: Reduce the overall cancer death rate. |
