The "Cancer Statistics 2007" published report found that less people died of cancer in 2003 than in 2004. The reported decline showed a total of 3,013 fewer cancer deaths in 2004.
According to experts, this much higher decline than that of the previous two-year period, which was only a drop of 369 deaths from 2002 to 2003, "suggests that the trend is more than just a statistical blip."
The American Cancer Society's website quotes CEO of the ACS, John R. Seffrin, PhD, as saying, "The hard work towards preventing cancer, catching it early, and making treatment more effective is paying dramatic, lifesaving dividends."
Seffrin was quoted as saying that the "historic drop was no fluke."
The ACS reports that 2007 is estimated to still have another 1,444,920 new reports of diagnosed cancers, with another 559,650 people who are estimated to die from cancerous diseases in 2007.
Statistics indicate that breast cancer cases have been steadily dropping since 1990, and they have begun to level off. Prostate cancer cases have also been declining. Colorectal cancer rates of incidence and death have also continued to drop.
However, lung cancer remains the most fatal cancer for both genders in the U.S. Although incidence and death rates for women have leveled off, the same rates for men have declined. Approximately 30 percent of cancer deaths are still linked to smoking or chewing or tobacco.
A notable item from the report indicates that persons of African American descent are still at the highest risk of developing and dying from cancer.
Lifestyle is an important key to avoiding cancer. A healthy diet and regular exercise are just as important as good rest and not using tobacco. Annual physical examinations are also vital to monitor and educate patients.
As individuals are becoming more aware of these factors with broader education, the ACS believes that cancer deaths will continue to drop in the future.
