U.S. Cancer Death Rate Continues to Drop
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051222/...cancer_rates_1
(Gold9472: Some good news for a change.)
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer Thu Dec 22, 5:40 PM ET
WASHINGTON - The nation's overall cancer death rate continues to decline, including the four most common types of cancer — prostate, breast, lung and colorectal — the National Cancer Institute said Thursday.
There is a continuing rise in lung cancer death rates in women, but not as rapidly as before.
The institute said there have been increases in the incidence of cancers of the breast in women and of prostate and testis in men, as well as leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, myeloma, melanoma of skin, and cancers of the thyroid, kidney and esophagus.
There have been some improvements in behavior aimed to prevent cancers, including reductions in smoking and declines in alcohol and fat consumption, the institute said in its biannual report on progress in battling cancer.
Smoking by youths, which had been growing in the 1990s, has been declining since 1997, the report said.
Highlights of the report included:
_The use of screening tests for breast and cervical cancers is high and remained stable between 2000 and 2003.
_Screening for colorectal cancer remains low.
_People are doing slightly more to protect themselves from the sun.
_Spending on cancer treatment continues to rise along with total health care spending.
_Blacks and people with low socio-economic status have the highest rates of both new cancers and cancer deaths.
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