Is There A Decrease In Cancer Rates In The US?

So far, 2008 has been quite a very interesting year. There have been all sorts of interesting events taking place on a local to a global level. Some events were good, some events were bad, and some events were downright ugly. Some notable events of 2008 were: Cyclone Nargis battering Burma a.k.a. Myanmar, Iraq, Afghanistan, the controversy surrounding the 2008 Summer Olympics, the Sichuan Earthquake, and the 2008 US Presidential Elections. Many in the US can agree that this recent tidbit of news as a happy piece of news. So far, it has been revealed by researchers that the rate of new cases of cancer has dropped by almost one percent annually from 1999 to 2005. The information was collaboratively released by numerous scientific and health organizations such as the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society. For even better news, the rate of cancer-related deaths is decreasing as well. The death rate between 2002 and 2005 has also decreased. “Each year that you see these steady declines it gives you more confidence that we’re moving in the right direction,” explains National Cancer Institute director Dr. John E. Niederhuber. Overall, the declines of cancer cases do come off as good news. Unfortunately on the flip-side, additional information shows that there have been inconsistent screening practices. What this means is that there is the possibility that this inconsistency could correlate with the drop in new cancer cases. In one instance, there has been the reported decrease of the rate of breast cancer. Yet, there is the fluctuating rate of mammogram screenings. It brings up this question: Is there really a decline in breast cancer or is it a “decline” due to lack of screenings and detections? An instance in regards to prostate cancer was also brought up. It is the same story with the rate of breast cancer and breast cancer screenings. This does raise questions on whether or not there is an actual decline in cancer rates. Overall, while there seems to be a decline in new cancer cases, there is the decreased and inconsistent rate of various screenings. The importance of getting regular screenings is also stressed. So far, it looks as if more information is needed. Perhaps it will encourage more people to get regular screenings and check-ups.