What You Need To Know:
The American Cancer Society reported its greatest one year decline in death rates ever. From 2016 to 2017, cancer death rates showed a 2.2% drop overall. The best news was the fight against lung cancer. Although there is encouraging news in the battle against cancer in general, there is still work to be done in cancers of the breast, prostate, and colon.
Why You Need To Know:
The lower success rates for two of the three cancers, breast and colon, had a lot to do with access to screenings and treatment for people of color in lower-income brackets.
As for death statistics for prostate cancer, the numbers have pretty much come to a standstill. Experts report this has to do with changes in screening recommendations from doctors to their patients. Over 500,000 Americans die from cancer each year. In order to improve the mortality rates, donations going towards research and access are key.
