Good News: Cancer Death Rates Dropping

October 16th, 2007

Due to new progress in colorectal cancer screening and treatments, cancer death rates in the US are dropping faster than ever.  According to the annual “Report to the Nation“, cancer death rates dropped by an average of 2.1 percent each year between 2002 and 2004. 

Even though colorectal cancer remains number two in the nation’s cancer death rates, rates have dropped significantly in men and women, nearly 5% for each.  These lowered rates are due to preventive screenings as well as new treatments.  Even at a 50 percent screening rate, the impact is greatly affecting the amount of new cases. 

Other findings include:

• Cancer mortality is improving faster in men than women, particularly in lung cancer deaths.  While men have a 2 percent decrease, women’s rates are holding steady after years of increases.
• Overall, the rate of new cancer diagnoses is decreasing about half a percent per year.

This annual report is a collaboration of the American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the North American Central Cancer Registries.

Entry Filed under: Healthy Lifestyle Research, Diabetes and Chronic Disease