According to the American
Cancer Society, fewer
people died of cancer in 2004 than in 2003, marking the second consecutive year
that cancer deaths have declined in the United States, a new American
Cancer Society report shows. According
to Cancer Statistics 2007, there were 3,014 fewer cancer deaths in 2004
compared to the previous year. The report is published in the latest
issue of the ACS journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. That number is
much higher than the drop of 369 deaths reported between 2003 and 2002. And
that suggests the trend is more than just a statistical blip, experts say. "This second consecutive drop
in the number of actual cancer deaths, much steeper than the first, shows last
year's historic drop was no fluke," says John R. Seffrin, PhD,
chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society. "The hard work towards preventing cancer,
catching it early, and making treatment more effective is paying dramatic,
lifesaving dividends." The number of breast cancer cases in the US has
leveled off in recent years, according to Facts & Figures. In 2007, 178,480
new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected.
Breast cancer death rates have been dropping
steadily since 1990, the report says, because of earlier detection and better
treatments. Death rates from prostate
cancer are also declining. About 27,050 deaths are expected in 2007. Lung Cancer remains
the top cancer killer among both men and women, the report shows. Around
160,390 deaths are expected in 2007. About 213,380 people are expected to
develop lung cancer. Incidence and death rates among women have
flattened in recent years, but fewer men are getting lung cancer or dying from
it. As in previous years, the Facts & Figures report includes a discussion
of the lifestyle factors that influence the development and progression of
cancer. About 30% of cancer deaths in the US are caused by smoking, and other
forms of tobacco like snuff and chew also can raise the risk of cancer. Another
third of cancer deaths are linked to nutrition and physical activity. In fact,
for most people who do not smoke, these factors are the most important for
affecting cancer risk.
