Cancer Now Ranks as Top Killer

Cancer has surpassed heart disease to become the leading cause of death in the U.S. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), 1,372,910 Americans this year will be diagnosed with cancer and the disease will claim the lives of an estimated 570,280. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, followed by breast cancer and colon cancer. Prostate cancer is the number two cause of cancer death in males.

The ACS reports that more widespread screening and the development of improved treatments have contributed to a decrease in the cancer death rate. Consequently, cancer's rise to become the leading cause of death is due to the increase in the number of people who are developing cancer in the course of their lives.