U.S. Cancer Deaths Fall 34% Since 1991 as 458 Rural Counties See No Reduction

2 articles · Updated · Fortune · Jun 24

4.5 million fewer Americans died from cancer between 1991 and 2022 as the national death rate fell 34% from its 1991 peak of 215 per 100,000.
Nearly 3,000 counties studied showed the gains were highly uneven: 458 rural counties saw cancer mortality stagnate or rise, while many large coastal urban areas posted declines above 40%.
Manhattan cut overall cancer deaths 47% and lung cancer deaths 60% from 1991 to 2019, reflecting stronger tobacco controls, screening and access to treatment than many poorer rural areas.
By 2019, people living in the highest-income counties saw mortality improvements about seven times greater than those in the lowest-income counties, pointing to widening gaps in who benefits from cancer advances.
The findings add a geographic dimension to broader U.S. cancer disparities, suggesting innovation has spread faster than access and leaving rural, lower-income communities behind.