Cancer Statistics Report: Death Rate Down 23% in 21 Years

By Stacy Simon RESOURCES: Visit the American Cancer Society's new Cancer Statistics Center. Annual statistics reporting from the American Cancer Society shows the death rate from cancer in the US has declined steadily over the past 2 decades. The cancer death rate for men and women combined fell 23% from its peak in 1991 to 2012, the most recent year for which data is available, translating to more than 1.7 million deaths averted during this time period. “Cancer Statistics, 2016,” published in the American Cancer Society’s journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, estimates the numbers of new cancer cases and deaths expected in the US this year. The estimates are some of the most widely quoted cancer statistics in the world. The information will also be released in a companion article, Cancer Facts & Figures 2016. A total of 1,685,210 new cancer cases and 595,690 deaths from cancer are projected to occur in the US in 2016. During the most recent 4 years for which there are data (2009-2012), the rate of new cancer diagnoses decreased by 3.1% per year in men and stayed about the same in women. Lung, colon, prostate, and breast cancer Lung, colon, prostate, and breast cancers continue to be the most common causes of cancer death, accounting for almost half of the total cancer deaths among men and women. More than 1 out of every 4 cancer deaths is due to lung cancer. Among men, prostate, lung, and colon cancer will account for 44% of all new...
Source: American Cancer Society :: News and Features - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: General Information Source Type: news