WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- A U.S. study suggests there are fewer cancer deaths occurring in the nation, although the number of people being diagnosed with the disease remains static.
The figures reveal an overall decline in cancer deaths that began during the early 1990s is continuing, with a reduction in cigarette smoking considered a major reason for the decline.
WebMD reported the study also found:
-- Men's death rates for 11 of the 15 most common cancers -- including lung, prostate, colon and leukemia -- continue to decline. Deaths from esophageal and liver cancer increased but seem to have stabilized for kidney cancer and melanoma.
-- Death rates among women dropped for 10 of the 15 most common cancers, including colon, rectum, kidney, cervix, and bladder. Breast cancer rates stabilized from 2001-03.
-- U.S. Latino/Hispanics have a lower incidence of most cancers than non-Hispanic whites.
The annual report is a joint effort of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute.
