A recent report made by the American Cancer Society has shown a sustained and marked decline in cancer deaths.
This is attributed mainly to high-quality health care and good public education.
Although this is great news a closer look at the details reveals both, great successes and great failures in the American health system, though.
The dropping rate of a little over 2 percent a year may not seem very high but it works out to over 10,000 people snatched from the grasp of death due to cancer each year. In the '90s the decline was about 1% each year.
The reason for this significant drop is because of the greater public awareness with regard to prevention and early detection.
Fewer people are smoking. Ergo: fewer cases of lung cancer. This is more marked in the case of women.
It is the same in the case of breast cancer. It has been suggested that one reason for the decline of breast cancer could be that fewer women are taking long-term hormone replacement, which was associated with breast cancer. The number of the ensuing deaths is smaller because of sustained success in the treatment of the disease.
Colorectal cancer has also claimed fewer victims recently and this is put down to the greater number of pre-cancerous polyps being noticed in the more frequent colonoscopies
However, in spite of all this good news there still is cause for concern.
The administration worries that one reason for this apparent drop in breast cancer may just mean that women are simply not getting themselves examined for it.
So too is it with colorectal cancers. Over 50 % of those who should be getting examined for it, particularly those over 50 are not doing so.
Reliable sources of information reveal that cancer rates and deaths are considerably higher than they should be because millions of Americans do not have health care. Those without sufficient health insurance are not as apt to have screening tests or to receive preventative information from doctors.
Providing high-quality health care and good public education to these numerous Americans is what needs to be worked out for the statistics to really ring true.
In the mean time awareness about cancer, its prevention and the possibility of surviving it is being made in numerous walks, the proceeds from which will be used for breast cancer research at the American Cancer Society.
One such walk was organized at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Florida. Then again another walk, the American Cancer Society's 'Making Strides against Breast Cancer' walk, is being held today at Louisville's Waterfront Park and over 10, 000 people are expected to attend it.
Another 'Making Strides against Breast Cancer' walk at Jones Beach, New York, raised $2.7 million which will be used to fund breast cancer research and also for the cancer patient support services of the American Cancer Society
On an average, the American Cancer Society spends about 14 percent of its annual budget on research; 20 percent on patient support; 20 percent on prevention; and 16 percent on cancer detection and treatment. Eight percent is spent for administrative costs and 22 percent in fund raising.
