The US cancer death rate sees the biggest one-year decline in national cancer statistics dating back to 1930. That’s according to an American Cancer Society report. Between 2016 and 2017, cancer deaths dropped by 2.2 percent. Director of the Stanley Scott Cancer Center at LSU Health New Orleans Dr. Augusto Ochoa credits that drop in part to new treatments developed over the last decade or so.
“It takes time to demonstrate that it increases in the number of years that patients will live or it decreases the growth of the tumors and it just takes time,” said Ochoa.
Even patients diagnosed with cancer in late stages are living a few years, instead of months, because of advancements in treatments. Ochoa says the dedication to cancer research has played a big role in the dip.
“You look at the drugs that have approved over the last decade, they are primarily as a result of very careful basic science and clinical research,” said Ochoa.
Lung cancer accounts for about a quarter of all deaths and Ochoa credits the awareness of dangers connected to tobacco use for the decline as well.
“As the rate of smoking is decreasing, then we have less patients. And at the same time, we have improved significantly how we diagnose lung cancer,” said Ochoa.
Cancer deaths have declined since 1991, but normally decrease at the rate of 1.5 percent. The overall cancer rate has fallen by nearly 30-percent since 1991.
