Excepts from an article by Dr. David B. Samadi
An estimated 12 million people in the United States have cancer, but a new report by the American Cancer Society (ACS) shows that we are continuing to make strides in the fight against the devastating disease.
Every year, the ACS publishes a comprehensive report outlining the status of cancer in the U.S., pooling data from several nationally maintained registries.
Over the past 20 years, the number of people dying from cancer has dropped drastically. Since 1990, the U.S. has experienced approximately 23 percent and 15 percent decreases in overall cancer mortality rates, for men and women respectively; translating into over one million lives saved.
Additionally, the number of deaths have fallen in all four of the most common cancers: Lung, colon, breast and prostate. Three of these cancers have widespread screening tests in place and the ACS attributes these promising figures to advancements in early detection and treatment.
Despite promising trends, the ACS still estimates that more than 1.6 million people will be diagnosed and 577,190 people will die from cancer in the coming year.
The ACS also noted that over 25 percent of total cancer deaths will have been caused by tobacco use and another third will be related to obesity, physical inactivity and poor nutrition. As a population, by making healthier choices we are in a position to decrease the number of people dying every year from cancer by half.
© Utah Cancer Specialists 2013 - All rights reserved.
