Cancer and The Hard Facts

For the first time in ten years, there are fewer people dying of cancer. According to a new study, researchers looked at the top 15 cancers found in men and women and discovered that the rates are decreased for men and women by .8% from the years 1999 to 2005. This decline is due largely to decreases in the three most common cancers in men; that's lung, colorectal, and prostate, and the two most common cancers in women; breast and colorectal. Despite the overall trend, there are still certain cancers that have increased. In men, kidney, liver, esophagus, certain lymphomas, and melanoma have all increased. In women, kidney, lung, thyroid, pancreas, bladder, brain, melanoma, certain lymphomas and leukemia have increased. Variations in smoking influence cancer rates as well. California, which has strong tobacco control, saw twice that big of a drop in cancer.