Going Down

A new study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report shows that lung cancer rates continue to fall in the US, particularly among men. The rates of new lung cancer cases in the US fell among men in 35 states and among women in six states between 1999 and 2008, CDC says. Among women, lung cancer incidence fell throughout the country between 2006 and 2008 after decades of being on the rise. "The decrease in lung cancer cases corresponds closely with smoking patterns across the nation. In the West, where smoking prevalence is lower among men and women than in other regions, lung cancer incidence is decreasing faster. Studies show declines in lung cancer rates can be seen as soon as five years after smoking rates decline," CDC says.