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Cancer; The Truth About Cancer Rates |
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Chances are you or someone you know has been affected by cancer. It seems that the growing amount of hormones, pesticides and air pollutants in our environment would cause cancer rates to skyrocket. But what does the data say?
The truth is that over the last 15 years, the death rates from cancer have steadily declined in the United States. In fact the American Cancer Society estimates in its Cancer Facts & Figures 2009 that approximately 650,000 deaths  may have been avoided over the last 15 years. Despite this, the rate of newly diagnosed cases may have slightly increased. This may be partly due to and increased awareness and more people being screened, although this is unclear.
Of course the rate of certain types of cancer will vary within certain populations. For example, men are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than any other type of cancer. Further, women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than any other type of cancer. Despite these facts, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death. In other words the survival rates for prostate and breast cancer are much greater than with lung cancer.
It is thought that the decrease in cancer-related deaths may be due in part to increased screening and better treatment methods. According to the cancer statistics released in May 2009, there are roughly 11 million cancer survivors in the United States. Survival rates have reportedly increased from 50% in the 1970s to 66% in 2009.
The Bottom Line
It appears as though survival rates for cancers are improving and death rates from cancer are declining due to better screening and improved treatment methods. The incidence of cancer diagnosis may be on the rise, however. More data is needed to confirm this. It appears that although more cases of cancer may be diagnosed each year, we are improving the ways in which we deal with and treat it. More research is on the way to help determine the best ways to prevent cancer in the first place.
To learn more about how you can prevent cancer, download our free report on cancer prevention at http://www.smartleafpress.com/free-cancer-prevention-report.php
Author: Christi Larson, Pharm. D.
Dr. Larson is a pharmacist, author of Empowered Medicine; A Guide for Consumers and creator of Empowered Medicine. You can read more about her by visiting www.EmpoweredMedicine.com and clicking on the 'About Us' tab. EmpoweredMedicine.com is committed to providing evidence-based medical information from a pharmacist's point of view.
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