Are We Winning The 'War On Cancer'?
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 - 16:29
in Health & Medicine
The 'war on cancer' has led to a reduction in the rate of cancer deaths whether measured against baseline rates in 1970 or in 1990, reports a new study by the American Cancer Society. According to the study, the downturn in cancer deaths since 1990 is due mostly to reductions in tobacco use, increased screening allowing early detection of several cancers, and modest to large improvements in treatment for specific cancers. The study was published today in PLoS One. Researchers used nationwide cancer mortality data for the years 1970 through 2006 from the SEER*Stat database, which defines major cancer sites consistently over time in order to facilitate reporting of long term mortality trends. read more