Rise in Number of Cancer Survivors

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, after heart disease. In the ____1____, it was often considered a death sentence1. But many patients now live longer ____2____ of improvements in discovery and treatment.

Researchers say death____3____ in the United States from all cancers combined2 have fallen for thirty years. Survival rates have increased for most of the top fifteen cancers in both men and women, and for cancers in ____4____.

The National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studied the number of cancer survivors. A cancer survivor is defined ____5____ anyone who has been found to have cancer. This would include current patients.

The study covered the period ____6____ 1971 to 2001. The researchers found there are three ____7____ as many cancer survivors today as there were thirty years ago. In 1971, the United States had about three-million ____8____ survivors. Today there are about ten-million.

The study also found that 64% of adults with cancer can expect to still be ____9____ in five years. Thirty years ago, the five-year survival rate was 50%. The government wants to ____10____ the five-year survival rate to 70% by 2010.

The risk of cancer increases with age. The report says the majority of survivors are 65 years and ____11____.

But it says medical improvements have also helped children with cancer live ____12____ longer. Researchers say 80% of children with cancer will survive at least five years after the discovery. About 75% will survive at _____13____ ten years.

In the 1970s, the five-year survival rate for children was about 50%. In the 1960s, most children did not survive cancer. Researchers ____14____ they expect more improvements in cancer treatment in the future. In fact, they say traditional cancer-prevention programs are not enough anymore. They say public health programs should also aim to support the ____15____ numbers of cancer survivors and their families.

1. A. past B. present C. future D. old

2. A. due B. because C. despite D. regardless

3. A. chances B. results C. orders D. rates

4. A. men B. women C. children D. people

5. A. as B. by C. at D. for

6. A. between B. from C. during D. since