HHS HealthBeat (April 25, 2011)

More cancer survivors

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

More Americans are living with cancer – and that’s the good news, because it means they’re not dying from it. Researchers say survivorship rose from 3 million in 1971 to 11.7 million in 2007. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Arica White:

``The number and overall percentage of people in the U.S. living with cancer continues to grow. Many people with cancer live a long time after diagnosis, especially for cancers that we have the ability to detect early.’’ (12 seconds)

These include breast and colorectal cancers.

White also says healthy lifestyles, such as not smoking, can reduce the risk of getting cancer.

The study, which was in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, is in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May 7, 2011