As the nation works to curb smoking, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) presented some statistics on lung cancer rates that serve as inspiration for all who work in the trenches of public health: National lung cancer rates have declined, particularly among women, who witnessed a 2 percent decrease between 2006 and 2008. That decline in lung cancer incidence was even greater in the West, which experienced a 4 percent decline. In fact, the decrease in the rate of new lung cancer cases was largest among Western states, including California and Texas, which saw the greatest improvements.
As ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross says, It's exhilarating to see that the decline in women's smoking rates has led to a quantifiable decrease in lung cancer rates as well.