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Cancer mortality rate drops by one-third due to better screenings and behavioral changes

A new report from the American Cancer Society has found that the U.S. cancer mortality rate has fallen by one-third since 1991. But this isn’t a result of medical breakthroughs — it is in large part due to behavioral changes, such as less people smoking due to public health campaigns and policy changes — and better treatment for late-stage cancers as well as improved screening.

Here & Now host Deepa Fernandes speaks with Derek Thompson, staff writer at The Atlantic, about this surprising news.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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