The cancer data report in Israel: more are diagnosed, less die

The National Center for Disease Control in the Ministry of Health publishes today (Tuesday) the incidence and mortality data from cancer in Israel. The report refers to the data of the year 2021, and also includes the morbidity and mortality trends between the years 1996-2021.According to the data, in 2021 there was an increase in the number of new cancer cases reported to the National Cancer Registry: 33,145 cases compared to 30,035 cases in 2020. However, according to the center, this increase is likely due to the increase in the population and its aging. About 87% of all tumors reported this year are invasive cancer, meaning a tumor that has spread to other areas of the body and is at a more dangerous stage, and similar to previous years – 49% of those diagnosed are men and 51% women.

The report also shows that the most common types of cancer among men in 2021, Jews and Arabs, are prostate cancer (Jewish men – 24.5%, Arab men – 12.5%), lung cancer (Jewish men – 10.9%, Arab men – 19.6%) and colon cancer and the promiscuity (Jewish men – 10.2%, Arab men – 11.3%).

The most common types of cancer in women that year were breast cancer (Jewish women – 34.4%, Arab women – 34.9%) and colorectal cancer (Jewish women – 8.9%, Arab women – 9.1%). The third most common type of cancer among Jewish women was lung cancer (7.9%) and among Arab women was uterine cancer (6.4%).

A significant decrease in cancer death rates

Despite the increase in the number of patients diagnosed in 2021, the number of deaths from the disease actually indicates a downward trend: in 2021, 11,582 cancer patients died in Israel, approximately 200 cases less than in 2020. The data are encouraging and indicate a stable trend even in a broader comparison – according to the National Center for Disease Control , between the years 1996-2021, there was a significant decrease in the death rates from cancer in all population groups, according to age and in relation to one hundred thousand citizens: among Jewish men the death rate decreased from 125.8 in 1996 to 82.7 in 2021, and among Arab men from 120.9 to 95 . Similarly, among women there was also a decrease in mortality rates, from 105.8 to 64.7 in Jewish women and from 81.5 in 1996 to 57.6 in 2021 in Arab women.

Even theoretically, the chance of getting cancer is decreasing according to the report published today, and according to the report, starting from the middle of the first decade of the 2000s, there was a decrease in the incidence of cancer among men, and in the last decade, starting from 2015, there was a decrease in the incidence of cancer among women as well. This, although as mentioned, the data indicate an increase in the number of patients actually diagnosed.

Also, the data indicate an increasing trend in the survival rate from cancer over the years, for example, an increase in relative survival was reported for all population groups that fell ill, between the years 2010-2016, compared to those diagnosed between the years 2003-2009. The National Center for Disease Control states that survival rates are higher among women than men. However, they emphasize that the relative survival rate from the disease decreases as age increases.

The chance of getting sick in Israel is higher than in the rest of the world

According to the report, the chances of getting cancer in Israel are higher than the world average, although we can be encouraged by the fact that Israel is in 40th place out of the 50 countries where the chances of getting cancer are the highest. The death rate from the disease in Israel is also low compared to the rest of the world – Israel is in 110th place among the world’s countries included in monitoring, an improvement compared to 2020, when it was ranked 89th, and the center attributes this to the high use of technologies for the early detection of common types of cancer, along with effective treatment of patients

Prof. Little Keenan Booker, director of the National Center for Disease Control at the Ministry of Health, says that “the 2021 data indicate an increase in cancer diagnoses in Israel, and at the same time – a decrease in the death rate from cancer in Israel that continues over the years. In an international comparison, the death rate from cancer in Israel is lower than the world average , which illustrates the strength of the health system and the efficiency of the treatment given to patients.” According to her, the decrease in mortality also results from early detection of the disease, as well as as a result of ongoing efforts to reduce significant risk factors, such as a reduction in smoking among Israelis. “The data we have also indicates a decrease in skin cancer cases, and part of this is related to education for correct and careful exposure to the sun, which apparently the population internalized.”

The professor estimates that the trend of decreasing incidence and mortality from cancer will continue in the coming years. “We see that there is no radical change in trends from year to year, so in my opinion there will not be a substantial change in the coming years either.”

She emphasizes that despite the decrease in cancer mortality in Israel, the disease accounts for about a quarter of all deaths in Israel and is the most common cause of death in the population. “It is important to make sure to carry out tests for early detection in order to diagnose the disease and receive life-saving treatment if necessary. In addition, in order to reduce the risk of cancer, it is recommended to maintain a healthy lifestyle: avoid smoking, exercise, follow a healthy diet and avoid from significant exposure to the sun.”