Cancer deaths declining in U.S.
Story By: Bea Karnes
Source: NBC
The American Cancer Society reported Wednesday that half a million cancer deaths have been avoided since death rates first started dropping in the early 1990s.
"It's being driven by reductions in tobacco smoking. For breast cancer, by the combination of mammography, finding cancers early when they are more treatable and improvements in treatment," explained the Cancer Society's Dr. Michael Thun.
Still, the Cancer Society predicts almost a million and a half new cases this year. The most common cancers for men: Prostate, lung and colon. For women, breast, lung and colon. Lung cancer in women is the only major category on the rise.
The cancer society says politicians can help. "We know things like raising the price of cigarettes, having smoke-free zones that are comprehensive across a whole state, having federal tobacco control" Dr. Thun said. "All of that would be very important."
Since the 1990s cancer death rates have dropped 18 percent for men and ten percent for women. Even though those numbers slowed a bit in recent years, experts remain confident that people will live longer.
