More than 1.66 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2013, while more than 580,000 Americans are expected to die of the disease, according to the annual statistics report of the American Cancer Society.
The report notes that the overall death rate for cancer in the U.S. has declined significantly since 1991, primarily because of reductions in smoking and improved cancer screening.
The report is based on data from the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Center for Health Statistics. Those sources show that cancer deaths fell 20 percent from their peak in 1991 to 2009, the most recent date available.
