The rates of newly diagnosed cancer cases (incidence) are one way to measure progress against cancer. The lower the rates, the better.

Another important measure is the proportion of cancers diagnosed at a late stage. The stage of a cancer shows how far the disease has progressed. The lower the stage at diagnosis, the better the chances for cure. Downward trends in the proportion of late cancer diagnoses are a sign that screening is working for the cancers for which early detection methods are available.

This section of Cancer Progress Report 2001 provides data on the rates of new cancers in the United States—by cancer site and by racial and ethnic group. Also included are data on the proportion of cancers diagnosed at the late stage for five of the major cancer sites: breast, colon, rectum, cervix, and prostate.