534,500 Lives Saved from Cancer

The survey in its annual report, the American Cancer Society reveals that the death rate from cancer continues to drop because of better detection and treatment. From 1990 to 2004, deaths fell 18% for men and 10% for women. That's more than half a million lives saved.

What this means While the downward trend is good news, cancer remains a formidable killer. The half a million saved since 1990 are matched by the half a million who die every year from the disease. What's more, while the death rate fell 2% from 2003 to 2004, the next year there was only a 1% improvement.