Cancer rates falling for adults, not for children

The journal Cancer has published the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer and it has some good news for adults, while the news for children is not quite as good.

According to the report, between the years 1994-2008 the rate of new cancer diagnoses has been dropping annually by 0.6%.

For women, between the years 1998-2006 the rate of new cancer diagnoses has been dropping annually by 0.5%, although for the years 2006-2008 the rates remained unchanged.

For children, between the years 2004-2008, the good news is that the rates of death from cancer has dropped 1.3% annually. Unfortunately, the rates of new diagnoses has risen by 0.6%.

The authors of the report make a special point to draw attention to the link between obesity and cancer, writing:

In the United States, 2 in 3 adults are overweight or obese and fewer than half get enough physical activity. Between children and youth, 1 in 3 is overweight or obese, and fewer than 1 in 4 high school students get recommended levels of physical activity. Obesity and physical inactivity are critical problems facing all states. For people who do not smoke, excess weight and lack of sufficient physical activity may be among the most important risk factors for cancer.

Source: Medical News Today