A January report made by the American Cancer Society shows that not only has the death rate for cancer been reversed, but it has reversed so much that fewer people are dying even though the most susceptible segment of our society, the elderly, is growing.
“Cancer death rates have been declining for a long time. The declines have now outpaced the growth and aging of the population,” Elizabeth Ward, Director of Surveillance Research for the Society, said in a telephone interview with Reuters News Service.
"The trend is real," she went on. "Decreases in smoking may be a major factor. I think tobacco control has had a real impact. There is also the influence in early detection and screening and the third influence has been improved treatments."
Colorectal cancer, the second leading case of cancer death, experienced the most dramatic fall in numbers due to improved screening for both men and women. The death rate fell by 5.7% from 2003 to 2004.
The Four leading causes of cancer are lung, breast, prostate and colorectal. In 2004, 553,888 died from cancer compared to 556,902 in 2003. The American Cancer Society projects that 1,444,920 cases of cancer will be newly diagnosed in 2007 excluding skin cancer. The data for their report is drawn from several health organizations focused on cancer and state and local health agencies.
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