Cancer rates down for the wealthy
Cancer is claiming fewer American casualties — 2.6 million fewer over the past 25 years — but the poor are not faring so well, reports Bloomberg citing the American Cancer Society’s annual update. Three decades ago, the poor had a lower risk than their wealthier neighbors of dying from cancer, but that trend has reversed. Reasons include reduced access to health insurance and treatment in some poor and rural areas, where death rates of colon, cervical and lung cancers is higher. Wealthier Americans have benefited from public health initiatives like dietary changes, smoking cessation, early screening and improved treatments.