Cancer is among the primary diseases that account for most deaths in the United States. The most common types of cancer are lung cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer. Fortunately, the rate of cancer and mortality are declining in the US.

Cancer Rates Decline
Cancer rates continue to fall in the Unites States. Dr Louis Weiner, the director of the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, proudly declares that the number of lives saved exceeds the population of Washington D.C.  The trend of the decline is such that for all ethnic groups the incidence of cancer is dropping by 0.8% yearly, through recent years. Survival rate of children with cancer has also increased to 80 %.

Reasons for the Falling Rate
The primary reason for the decline is increased awareness and prevention. People have been smoking less and it paid off. Advancement in detection: screening of breast, cervical, colorectal cancer in addition to improved treatment methods contributed greatly towards the fall in the incidence of cancer according to the American Cancer Society.

Research foresees further decline in cancer rates, particularly in women, due to giving up heavy smoking. Even though a large number of people in America smoke, the incidence of lung cancer is declining and is expected to decline further because people are more careful and the smoking rates are reducing.

Exceptions to the trend

However, the rate of decline is breast cancer is now more or less stable after a sharp drop in 2003 when it fell by 7%. The reason for the stopped rate of decline for breast cancer has been suggested by recent researchers. It has been noticed that breast cancer became more prevalent when the hormone replacement therapy gained popularity as a treatment of menopausal symptoms. The women having this treatment had a higher risk of developing breasts cancer, ovarian cancer, and strokes.

ACS Wants Further Progress

Despite the drop in cancer rates, the American Cancer Society considers the current prevalence too high and the disease remains to be a leading killer. A large number of people die of lung cancer and that is worrisome even after the promising decline. Unfortunately, those who survive one kind of cancer are likely to develop another king at some point. Puzzlingly, the African Americans have high rates of cancer than whites. Also, less educated people have higher mortality rates.  Obvious reasons could be a lack of awareness that would negatively affect prevention, and discrimination in hospitals and having an access to treatment apart from socio-economic factors.