I am pleased to start 2020 with news of tangible progress in the fight against cancer. Today, the American Cancer Society released Cancer Statistics, our widely-quoted annual report on cancer rates and trends. The article reports that the cancer death rate declined by 29% from 1991 to 2017, including a 2.2% drop from 2016 to 2017, the largest single-year drop in cancer mortality ever reported. The steady, 26-year decline translates to approximately 2.9 million fewer cancer deaths than would have occurred during that time had death rates remained at their peak.

 The report shows that this accelerating decline has been driven by lung cancer mortality, which has dropped by 51% (since 1990) in men and by 26% (since 2002) in women, with the most rapid progress in recent years. Lung cancer, however, still accounts for almost one-quarter of all cancer deaths – more than breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers combined.

 The report estimates that in 2020, 1,806,590 new cancer cases will be diagnosed and 606,520 cancer deaths will occur in the US.

 Every year, the American Cancer Society's Cancer Statistics article (published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians) and accompanying consumer version, Cancer Facts & Figures, provide nationwide and state-specific estimates of new cancer cases and deaths for the current year. These are important resources for public health and advocacy efforts to reduce the burden of cancer, as well as must-haves for journalists reporting on cancer throughout the year.

 The American Cancer Society is the #1 trusted source for cancer information, with Cancer Facts & Figures being one of the most widely-cited publications of cancer data in the world. These findings highlight the important continuing contributions of the American Cancer Society’s world-leading research team. This department includes some of the field’s brightest minds, who are studying the most urgent issues impacting public health. The American Cancer Society’s rich history of excellence in research continues to inspire our work.

 With a legacy of volunteerism burning brighter than ever, powerful partners by our side, and your support, I look to this new decade with great optimism and hope.

 Gary