Cancer rates fall in US

By Brandie Umar - Executive Director of Content | July 8th, 2010

Cancer is the number one cause of death worldwide, however a study by the American Cancer Society shows that greater awareness of cancer syptoms leading to early diagnosis and treatent is having an impact: overall the number of newly diagnosed cases of cancers in the United States has dropped 2% in recent years and the cancer mortality has decreased significantly. Overall, men are responding better to treatments with a 21% decrease in male mortality compared to a 12% decrease amongst women.

Experts credit greater awareness of the symptoms of breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer and heightened awareness of the problems caused by smoking and obesity for the decrease in cancer cases.

Despite the number of people developing cancer decreasing, lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer continue to be the biggest causes of death in the US.

Advances in treatments using methods such as

chemotherapy tailored to individual patients and more advanced screening processes could save thousands more lives. Patients who delay visiting a doctor when asign of trouble appears put their lives at unnecessar risk experts warn.

Oncologists advise everyone is routinely screened for colon/corectoral cancer, while men should have regular - 6 month- prostate exams and women breast examinations. Self-checks for breast cancer and prostate cancer are recommended on a weekly basis and if a family history of cancer exists patients are advised to increase the number of times they visit a doctor for screening.