Cancer Death Rate Across the US Declines with Significant One-Year Drop, Study Finds

Death rates due to cancer have fallen in the US over the past few decades. The latest report from the ACS (American Cancer Society) reveals a sharp fall in deaths due to lung cancer; the rate has decreased by a third from 1991. Reportedly, from 1992 to 2017, total cancer deaths have declined by around 29%, assessed at up to 3 million prevented deaths. Apart from this, a fall in mortality for four significant cancers – colon, prostate, lung, and breast, plays a crucial role. Even more, the effort includes the contribution of enhanced lung cancer survival. As per the study, released in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians suggests deaths from lung cancer fell by 51% among males from the past few decades. Even more, the mortality rate among women has declined by 26% from 2000.

In 2017, cancer had killed over 599,000 people across the US. The research praises the downfall in deaths related to lung cancer; the cases are less by 2.2% from 2016-17. Scientists say it is a first-ever significant drop of cancer deaths in one year. Meanwhile, doctors credit the success somewhat to decreased smoking rates as well as to substantial progress in therapy. Lesser and lesser new instances of cancer have emerged year over year in the United States. On the other hand, colorectal, prostate, lung, and breast cancers are some of the diseases liable for the liable for killing the highest number of Americans. Over the past few years, the reduced number of mortalities has driven progress in the massive battle against cancer overall.

Apart from this, scientists worldwide have finally developed treatments to treat the tough-to-treat difficult-to-treat disease. Immunotherapies in clinical testing can now fight against tumors. It can also treat patients in the last stages of the disease. Authors of the study have noted that death rates from melanoma or skin cancer have declined quickly. Besides this, liver cancer, accountable for the death of an increasing number of people every year, has finally slowed down its lethal march.