Molecular Pathology Laboratory Network

According to the annual statistics report by the American Cancer Society (ACS) cancer death rates in the United States continue to decline mainly because of falling smoking rates, improved cancer treatments, and earlier detection.

ACS researchers estimate there will be 1,529,560 new cancer cases and 569,490 deaths from cancer in 2010. Prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers will account for just over half of all new cancer diagnoses among men; and in women, breast, lung, and colorectal cancers will account for about half of new cancer cases. Together, these 4 cancers account for half of all cancer deaths among men and women.

Even so, the report shows that among men, decreases in deaths from lung, prostate and colorectal cancer account for approximately 80% of the declining death rate, while decreases in deaths from breast and colorectal cancer made up approximately 60% of the total decrease among women.

The report, Cancer Statistics 2010 is published in the Society's journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians and its companion piece Cancer Facts & Figures 2010.