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Trivia Tidbit Of The Day: Part 401 -- Cancer Deaths Decline

Die, Cancer, Die-

Some exciting news in the fight against cancer in America. For the second straight year, cancer deaths actually fell. Not just the rate (which had been falling already), but the actual number of deaths, even with the population meter topping 300 million late last year.

Very cool. And just goes to show that things are getting better all the time.

A look at death rates for some of the contributing forms of cancer:

While reading the article, something struck me as annoying. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I just couldn't tell what was bothering me. But, then I read Instapundit, and it became clear to me. This quote was bothering me, without my even realizing it:

Several advocates and cancer experts said, however, that the good news is tempered by cuts by the White House and Congress in funding for health research that has helped fight cancer.

Cuts?

Here are the National Institutes of Health (NIH) appropriation numbers.

Do you see falling numbers, or numbers going up?

Maybe my math is off, but $28,495,157,000 (2005 funding level) is greater than $27,887,512,000 (2004), which is greater than $27,066,782 ,000 (2003), which is greater than $23,296,382,000 (2002), which is greater than $20,458,130,000 (2001), which is greater than $17,820,587,000 (2000), which is greater than $10,955,773,000 (1994) ... and so on.

And isn't it really lifestyle changes that are driving the death rates down, anyway? More and earlier cancer screenings, less smoking, better foods, more effective sunscreen, healthier behavior, fewer menopause hormones, greater awareness, and so on?

Cuts. Only someone on the government dole could consider nearly tripling funding over the course of a decade a "cut."

Previous Trivia Tidbit: Free Economies Are Good Economies.

Posted by Will Franklin · 19 January 2007 10:00 AM

Comments

Posted by: Hoodlumman at January 19, 2007 10:57 AM

Posted by: zsa zsa at January 19, 2007 02:31 PM

Posted by: Assistant Village Idiot at January 21, 2007 02:55 AM