Since 1991, the overall rates of cancer mortality for the main cancer groups such as lung, prostate, breast as well as colon and rectum have fallen by 20 percent, a report by the American Cancer Society reveals.
John R. Seffrin, CEO of the American Cancer Society, speaks both about the progress as well as the caveats in the field of cancer, in saying, “In 2009, Americans had a 20% lower risk of death from cancer than they did in 1991, a milestone that shows we truly are creating more birthdays. But we must also recognize that not all demographic groups have benefitted equally from these gains, particularly those diagnosed with colorectal or breast cancer, where earlier detection and better treatments are credited for the improving trends.”
According to the Cancer Statistics Report released annually, the number of deaths related to cancer has decreased from 215.1 out of 1000 people to around 173 per 1000 people.
Breast and lung cancer in males saw a sharp drop by 30 percent and breast cancer rates dropped by 40 percent, and which has been attributed to two reasons: improved detection and treatment as well as the drop in the number of smokers over these two decades.
It must also be said that between 1990 and 2009, the decrease in mortality rates for cancer decreased by 24% for men and 16% for women – the most compared to previous decades.
However, cancers associated with melanoma or the skin, the pancreas, liver and thyroid continue to remain unchecked of which pancreatic cancer remains the deadliest of the lot.
Studies also show that cancer rates have dropped in Europe as well, according to a study published in the Annals of Oncology.