(NBC News)
A. Pawlowski Nov. 19, 2019, 4:15 PM
The United States is experiencing a “dramatic and concerning” rise in the rate of new anal cancer cases and deaths from the disease, particularly among young black men and elderly women, researchers reported Tuesday.
The incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the anus — the most common type of anal cancer — rose 2.7 percent per year over a recent 15-year period, while anal cancer mortality rates increased 3.1 percent per year during that time.
At this rate, the disease can be considered as one of the fastest accelerating causes of cancer incidence and mortality in the U.S., said the study’s lead author Ashish Deshmukh, an assistant professor at the UTHealth School of Public Health in Houston.
“The rates are increasing very rapidly,” Deshmukh told the "Today" show. “It’s concerning. Traditionally, our perception of anal cancer has been that it’s one of the rarest forms of cancer and because of that, it’s neglected.”
Actress Farrah Fawcett, who died of the disease in 2009, was one of the first high-profile patients to talk about her diagnosis publicly.
Among some of the startling statistics: The risk of developing anal cancer was five times higher for black men born in the mid-1980s compared to those born in the mid-1940s. That may be because young black men are disproportionately affected by HIV, which raises the risk for developing the cancer, Deshmukh said.