Cancer death rates drop nationwide

(KYMA, KECY/AP News) - Researchers are reporting another record one-year decline in the U.S. cancer death rate, a drop they continue to attribute to success against lung cancer.

The overall cancer death rate has been falling since 1991. The American Cancer Society released a report Tuesday saying it fell 2.4% from 2017 to 2018.

That topped the record 2.2% drop reported the year before. Most lung cancer cases are tied to smoking, and decades of declining smoking rates have led to falling rates of lung cancer.

Experts say the drop in deaths has been accelerated by refinements in surgery, better diagnostic scanning, more precise use of radiation and the impact of newer drugs.