The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the number of lung cancer cases in the US continues to decline, as more and more people also quit smoking.
The report showed that the lung cancer rates between 2005 and 2009 have decreased by 2.6 percent per year for men and 1.1 percent for women. The cases also declined from 87 to 78 per 100,000 for men and 57 to 74 for women for the same period.
S. Jane Henley, lead author of the study and a CDC epidemiologist, said to WebMD, "This is encouraging because lung cancer rates were going up among women, but they are starting to come down now. Smoking prevalence has been decreasing for several years, and that's finally paying off. This is largely due to increased tobacco control, including increases in tobacco prices and more smoke-free laws, which protect both smokers and non-smokers."
The biggest decline in lung cancer rates were seen in adults whose age range is 35 to 55. For men in this age group, lung cancer rates dropped by 6.5 percent per year, while it is a 5.8 percent drop per year for women.
However, despite rigid campaigns against smoking, CDC reports that there are still 20 percent of American adults who continue to smoke and therefore are at risk for lung cancer. According to Henley, convincing the reluctant 20 percent will take more than raising awareness about the dangers of smoking, for her, the price of cigarettes should be increased.
"Increasing tobacco prices will make a big difference. It seems to make the biggest difference for young adults," she said to WebMD.
Henley's message for the public is simple, quit smoking or don't start smoking. "Quitting is very hard, but there are a lot of resources to help you quit," she said.
The report was published in the January 10 issue of CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
