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U.S. Cancer Death Rates Drop

Posted on: Friday, 23 December 2005, 09:00 CST

U.S. cancer death rates drop

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The cancer death rate continues to decline in the United States thanks to efforts for early detection of cancers and improvements in behavior aimed to prevent cancers, the National Cancer Institute of the United States said in a biennial report on Thursday.

The death rate for all cancers continued to drop, at 193.6 per 100,000 in 2002, down from 195.7 a year earlier. The same downward trend was seen in the death rate of the four most common cancers -- prostate, breast, lung and colorectal, the report said, while noting a continuing rise in lung cancer death rates in women.

The rate of new cases of cancer stabilized at 488.6 per 100,000 Americans in 2002, which was compared to the rate of 488.1 a year earlier. At the same time, there have been further increases in the cases of breast cancer in women and of prostate and testicles cancer in men. The incidence of leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, myeloma, melanoma of skin, and cancers of the thyroid, kidney and esophagus also rose.

The report said increased use of screening tests for early detection of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers have helped bring down the death rates of these cancers.

Meanwhile, people have been taking some steps to protect themselves from cancers, the report said, citing reductions in smoking, declines in alcohol and fat consumption, and efforts to prevent sun exposure.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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