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There’s Been an Unprecedented Drop in the U.S. Cancer Death Rate

Researchers point to significant improvements in prevention and treatment of lung cancer and melanoma.

The cancer death rate in the U.S. has seen its largest ever single-year drop, according to a report from the American Cancer Society. The rate dropped by 2.2 percent from 2016 to 2017, largely thanks to progress in the prevention and treatment of both lung cancer and melanoma. The cancer death rate in the country has dropped every year since the mid-1990s, but it’s is still the second-leading cause of death after heart disease. The report, published Wednesday in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, warns that declines in colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer deaths are slowing, and it projects that 1.8 million new cancer cases and 600,000 cancer deaths will happen this year. “It’s a really exciting time in cancer research, and I think we’re seeing the fruits of many years of investments,” said Patrick Hwu from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. “That being said, we still have a long way to go.”