Actions

Best News Of 2017 So Far? Cancer Death Rate Drops A Fourth Since '91

There are about 2 million fewer cancer deaths than expected if cancer death rates had stayed at their peak, according to the newest data.

By: Briana Koeneman

Posted at 9:10 AM, Jan 06, 2017

Fewer Americans are dying from the second biggest killer in the U.S.: cancer.

New numbers from the American Cancer Society show from 1991 to 2014, the cancer death rate has dropped by a quarter.

That means there were about 2 million fewer cancer deaths than expected if cancer death rates stayed at their peak.

The big overall drop is fueled by decreasing death rates from four major types of cancer: lung, breast, colorectal and prostate.

The American Cancer Society's report says those encouraging numbers are because of better screening, better treatment and fewer smokers.

The society's chief medical officer said in a statement, "The continuing drops in the cancer death rate are a powerful sign of the potential we have to reduce cancer's deadly toll."

But there's still a long way to go. The organization estimates this year, the U.S. will have nearly 1.7 million new cancer cases and over 600,000 cancer deaths.