Facts & Figures 2019: US Cancer Death Rate has Dropped 27% in 25 Years

Facts & Figures 2019: US Cancer Death Rate has Dropped 27% in 25 Years

Cancer death rate down, but progress is uneven

The cancer death rate has been falling in the U.S. for a quarter century, according to new data from the American Cancer Society. Cancer is still the second leading killer in the country behind heart disease, but death rates have fallen as smoking rates have dropped and as gains have been made with early detection and new treatments. Overall, the cancer death rate dropped by 27 percent from 1991 to 2016.

This year, there will be 1.76 million new cancer cases, with more than 600,000 deaths. Here's what else you need to know from the ACS report:

• The death rate for cancers tied to obesity — including those in the pancreas, liver, and uterus — has risen.
• The racial gap in cancer deaths has narrowed, but the gulf in mortality based on socioeconomic status is growing. People in poorer counties are more likely to develop the most preventable cancers.
• Survival rates for lung and pancreatic cancers have not improved like those for other cancers, in part because those are more often diagnosed at advanced stages.