Americans In Certain Parts Of The US Are Dying From Cancer At Increasing Rates, Research Indicates.

Cancer death rates are surging in some regions of the U.S. even as fatalities steadily decline nationwide, a new study suggests. Overall, the U.S. death rate from cancer has dropped about 20 percent from 1980 to 2014, the study found. Cancer fatalities now account for about 192 deaths for every 100,000 people in the U.S., down from 240 per 100,000 at the start of the study period. But in some parts of the country where poverty, obesity and smoking are more common, rates of death from cancer are going up. "Known cancer risk factors – smoking, diet, and obesity, among others – combined with poor prevention programs may increase cancer cases," said senior study author Dr. Christopher Murray of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle. "Unequal access to and quality of care are likely contributors to cancer mortality disparities, and the lack of early detection for some cancers and lack of specialized treatment can be deadly," Murray added by email. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-us-cancer-mortality-idUSKBN1582MZ