American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society in 2018 became the first major organization to lower the recommended colorectal cancer screening age from 50 to 45. - Sets screening guidelines

Colorectal cancer now kills more Americans under 50 than any other cancer. James Van Der Beek, the actor who played Dawson Leery in the defining teen drama of the late 1990s, died February 11 at age 48 after a 30-month battle with the disease—becoming the latest public figure to put a face on an epidemic that medical guidelines have only recently begun to address.

Updated Feb 11

The ACS funds cancer research, provides patient support services, and publishes definitive annual statistics on cancer incidence, mortality, and survival in the United States. - Publishes annual Cancer Facts & Figures report

Cancer death rates in the United States peaked in 1991 at 215 deaths per 100,000 people. Since then, they have fallen 34%, averting an estimated 4.5 million deaths. The decline accelerated from about 1% annually in the 1990s to 2% annually by 2015-2020, driven primarily by plummeting smoking rates, earlier detection through screening, and advances in targeted therapies and immunotherapy.

Updated Jan 22