Cancer Deaths Among Women Outnumber Men for the First Time

Over the past 20 to 30 years, there has been a decrease in cancer-related deaths; however, women now surpass men in cancer deaths for the first time ever.

According to board-certified medical oncologist Dr. Anokhi Patel, this is partially due to better screenings.

Another factor is that many Americans no longer smoke, so there's a decline in lung cancer.

Dr. Patel noted that young women need to know their genetic risk, something that can determine when they should start getting screened.

"We are luckily finding more cancers at earlier stages due to screening, but I also think that there's a subset of [the] population that we're finding with more advanced cancers, and I think that's due to the lack of screening that specifically took place during the [COVID-19] pandemic. I often have patients that say, 'You know, I missed my mammogram.' Or, 'I missed my colonoscopy because of the pandemic,'" Dr. Patel said.

Dr. Patel added that when it comes to getting screenings, the tests are easier than people think. There are some risk factors that need to be controlled, including avoiding smoking or drinking alcohol, getting exercise, eating a plant-based diet and using sunscreen year-round.

View Mercy medical oncologist Dr. Anokhi Patel’s interview regarding the rise in cancer cases in women.