Good News On The Cancer Front

According to statistics released yesterday by the American Cancer Society, cancer death rates have continued what is now an almost two decade decline.

The Society tells us that, since 1991, cancer mortality rates among men have dropped 21 percent, while women’s rates have declined 12 percent since 1992.

This success can be attributed to a number of factors.  Healthier lifestyles and a reduction in the number of people who smoke have certainly contributed.  But so has the ability to detect the signs of disease earlier before it has had a chance to progress.  And improvements in treatment have meant that a cancer diagnosis is, more often than in the past, not a death sentence.

The promise of health reform is that more people will have health coverage and, thus, have access to early diagnosis and treatment.  The reality is that we need to make sure that coverage does indeed equal increased health access, and that we strengthen support for healthcare innovation so that the future will see more development of treatments and technologies that will eventually defeat this disease for good.