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Posted on Apr 22, 2008, 8 p.m.
By Jeanelle Topping
The number of cancer-related deaths in the US is continuing to fall, new research has revealed.
The number of cancer-related deaths in the US is continuing to fall, new research has revealed.
According to a study produced by the American Cancer Society (ACS), the prevalence of disease is dropping due to a number of citizens taking up a healthier lifestyle.
Figures show that that death rate in cancer among men fell by 18.4 per cent, while the mortality rate among women dropped by 10.5 per cent since rates began their initial decline in the 1990s.
Otis W Brawley, MD, chief medical officer of the ACS revealed that the improvements could only continue if more people stopped smoking and made dietary changes.
"If we want these gains to continue, we need comprehensive, systematic efforts to reduce tobacco use, to address the epidemic levels of obesity in this country, and to make sure all Americans have access to and receive established cancer screening tests."
The ACS estimates that the fall in the death rate has meant that 500,000 cancer-related fatalities have been avoided since the 1990s.
