Cancer to Surpass Heart Disease as World's Leading Killer

In the United States, for the first time since such statistics were released in 1998, the number of men and women getting and dying from cancer has dropped, according to a report released earlier this month in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The drop was mostly due to fewer cases of lung, prostate and colorectal cancers among men, and fewer cases of breast and colorectal cancer among women. Also, death rates from lung cancer have leveled off among women since 2003, the American Cancer Society report found.

To stem the global tide of increasing cancer rates, the American Cancer Society is recommending several steps, Brawley said.

First, vaccines that prevent cancer-causing infections -- such as human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer -- need to be made available to low-income countries. Second, there needs to be greater support for U.S. and international tobacco-control programs. Third, health officials and governments must promote culturally sensitive risk-reduction programs and invest in cancer research and early detection.

More information

For more on cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.

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