Desert Sierra Cancer Suveillance Program releases new data
Cancer is more common than what many people believe, with an estimated 10,000 new cases per year diagnosed among the approximately 3.1 million residents of Inyo, Mono, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties.
At a news conference held on September 16, representatives from the Desert Sierra Cancer Surveillance Program (DSCSP) released the second annual scientific report of cancer incidence in the four counties.
This report covers the years 1988 through 1994 and uses data for new cancer cases accessioned into the DSCSP active database prior to April 12, 1997. The time lag required for reporting and confirmation of cancer diagnoses requires that data for cases diagnosed after 1994 be presented in future reports.
According to Alan R. King, MD, medical director, DSCSP, and associate director of cancer control, LLU Cancer Institute, the cancer risk in the DSCSP population is similar to that measured statewide: 10,000 new cancer cases a year is in line with the number predicted by the size and demographic configuration of the population.
"When data for all race/ethnic groups are combined, and the age and gender characteristics of California and the United States are considered, the risk of cancer in California is slightly lower than the national average," says John W. Morgan, DrPH, cancer epidemiologist, DSCSP, associate director of epidemiology research, LLU Cancer Institute.
According to Drs. Morgan and King, incidence rates for cancer that are statistically significantly higher for the DSCSP population when compared to statewide rates include: lung and bronchus (female, male and both sexes combined) and in situ colon and rectal cancer.
The higher risk of lung and bronchus cancer seen in the DSCSP when compared to the entire state is consistent with the higher proportion of cigarette smokers in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, while the higher incidence of in situ colon and rectal cancer may indicate earlier detection of these malignancies in the DSCSP population.
The Desert Sierra Cancer Surveillance Program, also known as the Region 5 of the California Cancer Registry (CCR), is one of 10 regional population-based cancer registries that, since 1988, form the California Cancer Registry.
As one of the largest population-based cancer registries in the world, the CCR provides cancer surveillance for the 33 million residents of California.
This state-of-the-art cancer surveillance system provides measurement of cancer incidence in California with detail regarding age, gender, and race/ethnicity; assessment of localized cancer incidence, concerns, and trends in 10 regions of California; and a rich, confidential database that supports research into methods that maximize the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of cancer control and prevention.
Since 1988, Loma Linda University Cancer Institute, part of Loma Linda University Medical Center, has received funding from the California Department of Health Services for operation of the DSCSP, which serves approximately one-tenth of the California population.
Late in 1995, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded additional funds for expansion of the research component of the DSCSP, and for development of an annual scientific report of cancer incidence in the region.
For more information on cancer surveillance, prevention, screening, early diagnosis, or treatment, the public is encouraged to call the Cancer Information and Referral Service at 1-800-78-CANCER, a community service provided by Loma Linda University Cancer Institute.
At a press conference, representatives from Desert Sierra Cancer Surveillance Program (DSCSP) released the second annual scientific report of cancer incidence in area counties. John W. Morgan, DrPH, cancer epidemiologist, DSCSP, associate director of epidemiology research (right), answers a question from the media while Rebecca E. Cassady, RRA, CTR, director, DSCSP (left), and Alan R. King, MD, medical director, DSCSP, associate director of cancer control, (center), listen to his response.
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