The American Cancer Society's annual report on cancer stats and cancer trends has some encouraging news inside it. For the biggest cancer killers, death rates are down across the board over the past two decades; 23% for men, 16% for women," which "works out to about a million lives saved since researchers started counting in the early '90s" as reported by NBC Nightly News.

 

The Los Angeles Times (1/5, Roan) reports that since 1999, cancer death rates have declined in both men and women and among all racial and ethnic groups with the exception of American Indians and Alaskan Natives. But cancer rates have stabilized in those two groups.

The biggest drops in death rates were seen among African American and Latino men, with declines of 2.4% and 2.3% per year, respectively. Still, black men have a 15% higher cancer incidence and 33% higher death rate compared with white men. Black women have a 6% lower cancer incidence rate compared with white women but have a 16% higher death rate.

Lung cancer is responsible for the largest drop in death rates for men while breast cancer deaths have declined the most among women. Cancers that are on the rise include tumors of the pancreas, liver, thyroid and kidneys as well as melanoma of the skin. In addition, oropharyngeal cancers, which are linked to human papillomavirus infection, are on the rise. Obesity may explain the increase in pancreas, liver and kidney cancers.

The full report is available online from the American Cancer Society.

Melanoma is serious. Make sure you get your skin cancer check every year so you do not become part of the American Cancer Society's statistics.

Make an appointment with one of our board-certified dermatologists, Richard White, MD, or Timothy Woodall, MD, who are experts in skin cancer, by calling us at 803.329.6030 or book an appointment online.

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