Summary — Causes of Cancer

Conclusion

Preventing cancer deaths in the U.S. will not be easy, given the scope of individual and societal change that must occur. But change is possible. Studies of migrant populations show that they tend to adopt the cancer pattern of the host country within a period of time that varies from less than 20 years (e.g., cancer of the large bowel) to a few generations (e.g., cancer of the breast). Cancer rates are malleable, and with the proper commitment of resources, and with time, we believe that the United States can realistically reduce cancer rates by as much as one-third.