4 ms·

That was my first thought, but the article specifically addresses that. It's due to improved treatments for lung cancer. Take lung cancer out of the data and

That was my first thought, but the article specifically addresses that. It's due to improved treatments for lung cancer. Take lung cancer out of the data and the death rate improved by 1.4% last year, which is basically the same as the baseline 1.5%/year rate that cancer deaths have been dropping since 1991. If it were due to the opioid epidemic, you also wouldn't see that sustained drop over 3 decades - life expectancy in the U.S. has only been falling for 3 years.

markus92 7y ago
I wonder if this drop can be attributed to the approval of pembroluzimab? Our oncologists speak highly of it and it got to market around the mentioned time period
- mrosett 7y ago
  Absolutely. They mention immunotherapy in the article, and pembro (aka Keytruda) is the best-selling drug in that class. Another big one that was introduced around the same time is nivolumab (aka Opdivo). Immunotherapy has really transformed certain parts of oncology (including melanoma, which they mention in the article as well), which is why some of the foundational researchers won the Nobel last year.
- mamp 7y ago
  I think it’s a combination of immunotherapy for melanoma, bladder, renal cell and improved targeted therapy in certain types of lung adenocarcinoma.
ip26 7y ago
Decommissioning coal plants & spinning up natural gas plants could hypothetically help with lung cancer too.
- dwd 7y ago
  You will see a lot less people dying from respiratory issues. For coal mine workers, stopping further damage to their lungs may reduce the chance of tumors developing in those damaged areas.
- ekianjo 7y ago
  The most significant variable is newer treatments though because the benefit is so huge compared to previous gold standard treatments that this variable cannot be ignored.
- hinkley 7y ago
  Long term, sure. Short term, you'd be looking at the link between air quality levels and chronic diseases like COPD, asthma, and congestive heart failure. That might show up as an increase in the number of living people with these conditions.

markus92 7y ago

I wonder if this drop can be attributed to the approval of pembroluzimab? Our oncologists speak highly of it and it got to market around the mentioned time period

mrosett 7y ago
Absolutely. They mention immunotherapy in the article, and pembro (aka Keytruda) is the best-selling drug in that class. Another big one that was introduced around the same time is nivolumab (aka Opdivo). Immunotherapy has really transformed certain parts of oncology (including melanoma, which they mention in the article as well), which is why some of the foundational researchers won the Nobel last year.
mamp 7y ago
I think it’s a combination of immunotherapy for melanoma, bladder, renal cell and improved targeted therapy in certain types of lung adenocarcinoma.

ip26 7y ago

Decommissioning coal plants & spinning up natural gas plants could hypothetically help with lung cancer too.

dwd 7y ago
You will see a lot less people dying from respiratory issues. For coal mine workers, stopping further damage to their lungs may reduce the chance of tumors developing in those damaged areas.
ekianjo 7y ago
The most significant variable is newer treatments though because the benefit is so huge compared to previous gold standard treatments that this variable cannot be ignored.
hinkley 7y ago
Long term, sure. Short term, you'd be looking at the link between air quality levels and chronic diseases like COPD, asthma, and congestive heart failure. That might show up as an increase in the number of living people with these conditions.