And yet since 1962 cancer deaths are up nearly 100 percent.
It's still the leader in cancer deaths, and many young men continue to smoke.
The bad news: It's the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men.
The disease kills about 55,000 Americans a year, making it the third leading cause of cancer death.
And it is the leading cause of cancer death among women aged 35 to 54.
It is the fifth most common cause of cancer deaths in women.
To prevent one cancer death in this group, 1,904 women would have to be screened.
It now accounts for 25 percent of all cancer deaths among women.
The national average is 22,000 cancer deaths for each 100,000 people.
Brain tumors are now considered the leading cause of cancer death in children.