Reports indicate that over the last 20 years, more than a million people are alive who had cancer - all deaths considered avoided through modern medicine and treatment methods. According to a report, the death rate for some of the country's most common types of cancers shows that each year, the number of deaths is lower and lower. This shocking information is good news for the thousands of men and women who are diagnosed with the disease each year.

The most common cancers, including prostate, breast, colon and lung cancers have all seen a significant drop in death rates. Some of the more rare types of cancer, though, including pancreas, liver, thyroid and kidney forms, have seen increases in both death rates as well as the number of instances present.

The information comes from a report called Cancer Statistics 2012 with a secondary article entitled "Cancer Facts and Figures 2012." The information not only provides us with a look at what cancer has become in the last 20 years, but also with some key predictors for the future.

Here are some interesting pieces of data from the report that can offer some light on what changes have been made.

·         From the year 1990 through 2008 (the length of the study period) the rate of overall deaths from cancer in adult males fell by 23 percent.

·         In the same period, the rate of adult females dying from cancer fell by 15 percent.

·         In 2012, it is estimated that about 577,190 deaths will occur as the result of cancer.

·         In 2012, about 1,638,910 new cancer diagnoses will occur in the United States.

For those who are suffering from this condition, it can be good news to know that potentially life saving treatments are out there and that they are growingly becoming more successful.