“Colon cancer is preventable through screening, with doctors able to detect and remove dangerous pre-cancerous polyps through a colonoscopy.” Dr. Lynne Penberthy, senior author of the annual report and associate director of the Surveillance Research Program at the National Cancer Institute, said, “The early polyps are being removed even before they turn into cancer.”

“The drop in incidence in colorectal cancers shows the lifesaving impact of prevention,” said John R Seffrin, Ph.D., American Cancer Society Chief Executive Officer. “But we have a long way to go, not only in these two cancers but in the many other cancers where the trend has not been so positive.”

For more, see: http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/newsfromnci/2015/report-nation-march-2015-press-release