Health Centers

As you read the staggering statistics from the American Cancer Society, remember that there are steps we can all take – small steps every day – to help prevent this disease and lower these numbers.

• Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. after cardiovascular disease.
• About 1,200,100 new invasive cancer causes were diagnosed in 2000.
• One out of every four people in the U.S. will eventually develop cancer.
• About half of all men and one third of all women will develop cancer.
• Almost 80 percent of all cancer cases are diagnosed at the age of 55 and older.
• Research suggests that about one-third of cancer deaths in the U.S. are related to diet – another third are due to cigarette smoking.
• For those who do not smoke, physical activity and dietary habits become the most significant controllable determinants of cancer risk.
• Only about 5 to 10 percent of all cancers result from inherited defective genes that predispose a person to a very high risk of certain types of cancer.