Prostate, breast, and smoking-related cancers continue to decline in California. The American Cancer Society has released a new in-depth look at the disease.
The report says between 1998 and 2005, the incidence of cancer in California declined by 8 percent.
Coleen Doyle is with the American Cancer Society. She says all of the state's four major ethnic groups experienced a decline in cancer mortality rates. Still, Doyle says there are some ethnic disparities.
"We know that African-American girls, Hispanic boys, tend to be more overweight, and we know many cancers are related to being overweight," Doyle says. "So, we're seeing some things in kids that are certainly alarming to us for the future."
Cancer remains a leading cause of death in California, second only to heart disease. The report predicts cancer will kill more than 54,000 Californians this year.
