The news is full of frightening statistics about cancer and other diseases. From what we read and hear on television, we are led to believe that more and more people are being diagnosed with cancer and that more and more people are dying from it.
In some cases, this is true. Incidences of and deaths from cancer have risen every year for the last fifty. However, dont let this lead you to believe that no progress is being made.
Lets take a look at gastric cancer, for example. Gastric cancers were once the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and in many other countries, too. However, since 1930, the incidence of and number of deaths related to gastric cancer have steadily decreased.
By 1994, gastric cancer was the eighth leading cause of cancer death in the US and the statistics appear to continue to be on the decline. So, why are we seeing less gastric cancer today than before? Well, the medical community doesnt appear to have made any definite conclusions, but there are some factors that are believed to be contributing to this promising trend.
The number one reason doctors believe that gastric cancer is on the decline is the higher...