U.S. cancer deaths decline

Deaths decline

Mortality rates from cancer in the United States are declining. Between 1991 and 2006 (the most recent data), death rates dropped by 21 percent among men and 12 percent among women, according to the American Cancer Society's latest annual report. If these rates had not improved, 767,000 more cancer deaths would have occurred in the United States during those 16 years. The decline is attributable to a reduction in smoking (especially in men), increased screening (especially for colorectal cancer), and improved treatments.

University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter, November;

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