Cancer Death-Rates Dropping "Faster than ever"
Still, only about half the people who need screening—everyone over age 50—gets checked [for colorectal cancer].
According to an annual "Report to the Nation" by the American Cancer Society, death rates from the disease are falling "faster than ever," about 1.1 percent between 1993 and 2001.
The number two cancer killer in the country—colorectal cancer—had a greater drop than any other form, falling nearly 5 percent-a-year among men and 4.5 among women. Some of that is reportedly due to a greater amount of people getting screened and pre-cancerous polyps removed. However, only about half of the population seems to be getting tested with a colonoscopy.
Dr. Elizabeth Ward of the American Cancer Society, who co-wrote the study, remarked, "If we're seeing such great impact even at 50 percent screening rates, we think it could be much greater if we could get more of the population tested."
According to the report, everyone over the age of 50 should be checked.
