According to Miami urologist Dr. George Suarez, a new report indicates that we – as a country – are making slow but steady progress against cancer, with an ongoing decrease in cancer deaths.
The total cancer death rate fell an average of 1.5 percent per year in the period of time from 2002 to 2011, which represents an improved survival rate for men, women and children. The rate of new cancer cases also decreased an average of 0.5 percent a year during that same time.
Experts report that the encouraging figures are an indication of success in both treating – and deflecting – cancer in the body’s four most at risk sites — the colon, lungs, breasts and prostate.
Your Miami urologist reports that these numbers are an indication of a combination of factors including prevention, early detection and improved treatment. On the flip side, however, the report also revealed that cancer rates are rising for some less common forms of cancer, such as cancer of the liver, mouth and throat, thyroid, and kidneys.
Those trends indicate that cancer is being successfully prevented and, if it does occur, it is being treated successfully. Developments in lung cancer rates are directly tied to fewer people smoking, while the decrease in colon and breast cancers are tied to prevention.
Prostate cancer rates also are declining according to your Miami urologist, but experts aren’t exactly sure why that is happening. Prostate cancer screening is highly recommended, which could lead to an increase in cases that are being treated successfully.
In an attempt to avoid cancer, your Miami urologist advises his patients to avoid tobacco use and contact with secondhand smoke, protect themselves from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, maintain a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, consistently participate in a physical activity and maintain a healthy weight.
But one of the best cancer-prevention practices is fairly simple – visiting your physician for an annual check-up, at which time your urologist will make sure you get the cancer screenings that are appropriate to your age and gender, and also determine if you need vaccinations that can prevent cancer.
Join us in the fight against cancer – call the office of best Miami urologist Dr. George Suarez today to schedule an appointment.
