We have written several posts concerning the need to prepare for a much longer life than most of us are aware. Looking to the age that our parents were when they died, or our current ages does not help predict the longevity that we will likely have.
More evidence of this fact was recently delivered concerning death rates from several forms of cancer in the United States. The latest report from the American Cancer Society highlighted the good news.
Cancer death rates continued to drop for many different cancers. This trend has been occurring for the last quarter century, but the largest drop in cancer death rate ever recorded occurred from 2016 to 2017. This year saw a reduction of 2.2%. 2017 is the last year of analyzed data, but the trends look to be continuing.
The main reason for the decline according to the scientists was a reduction in lung cancer as smoking continues to decline. However, there was also a decline in melanoma. This particular skin cancer decrease makes this “fair skinned” person happy to hear.
However, the overall decrease of many cancers continues to be abated by earlier deduction and better treatment. More research continues including using the patient’s own immune system in the fight, known as immunotherapies.
For men and women, the statistic used to measure the better results is how many cancer deaths were there per every 100,000 people. For men, the lung cancer decline has been staggering. In 2000, 77 men died from lung per 100k people and by 2017, the number had declined to 45. For women, the decline from that time period was 41 deaths declining to 31 per 100k people.
The declines of breast cancer deaths in women and prostate deaths in men also declined.
Unfortunately, cancer still remains the second-leading cause of U.S. deaths. Heart disease continues to hold the number one spot.
One area that will continue to see improvement for cancer and heart disease is on the pharmaceutical front. Large international pharmaceutical companies continue to spend tens of billions on research and development seeking to develop new life savings drugs and therapies.
The size of this industry is impressive. World-wide, the global cancer drug markets is estimated to be $123 billion and continues to be one of the fastest growing. Even small bio-technologies companies are attempting to find the next break-thru drugs.
Large companies like Roche Holding AG and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (BMS) were highlighted in the report. F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG is a Swiss multinational healthcare company that operates worldwide under two divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. BMS had approximately $57 billion in revenue in 2018, and is the second-largest pharmaceutical company worldwide.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. is an American global biopharmaceutical company based in New York. The company has approximately 23,000 global employees and had approximately $23 billion in revenues in 2018.
The cancer report highlighted each of these companies. Roche for their Zelborah drug that target the molecular roots of tumors in the fight against melanoma, and therapies like Yervoy from BMS which enlist a patient’s own immune system in the fight.
With the continued honing of computer power and AI (artificial intelligence), we are should expect not to only live longer lives, but to live longer as healthy seniors.
Make sure that you do not outlive your money with this continuing positive longevity trend.
Hope you have a great week!
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