Cancer is currently the second leading cause of death in the U.S after heart disease, but death rates have been steadily declining.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), U.S cancer death rates have declined by 29 percent from 1991 to 2017, which includes a 2.2 percent drop from 2016 to 2017 – the largest single-year drop ever recorded and reported through the ACS statistics.
A decline in lung cancer deaths was the biggest driver for the record drop, though lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths.
Over the past 26 years, the decline in death rates has been steady.
The ACS notes that overall cancer death rates dropped by an average of 1.5 percent each year between 2008 and 2017 – which translates to more than 2.9 million deaths avoided since 1991.
That is when cancer death rates were at their highest point.
However, they project that a total of 1,806,590 new cancer cases and 606,520 deaths are expected in the U.S. in 2020, which is about 4,950 new cases and more than 1,600 deaths each day.
In our May issue, we will introduce you to some of the dedicated physicians in our community who are playing a vital role in bringing innovations in cancer to the patients who need them right here in Marion County.
You’ll learn about cutting-edge treatments that have led to higher survival rates; the state-of-the-art equipment being used every day to benefit patients; new radiation approaches that are producing remarkable results; successful immunotherapy protocols and vital studies being hosted locally; all from leading doctors with Florida Cancer Affiliates, Florida Cancer Specialists and the Robert Boissoneault Oncology Institute.
