ACS News Today

Smoking rates in the U.S. have stayed about the same for the last 5 years, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). On the plus side, states with smoke-free laws have the lowest smoking prevalence among adults, a sign anti-smoking advocates say highlights the need for additional legislation. Full Story »

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is now recommending women begin cervical cancer screening at age 21, instead of 3 years after the onset of sexual activity, as was previously recommended by the group. ACOG has also modified its recommendations for how often women should be screened for cervical cancer, a disease that affected 11,270 US women in 2009, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Full Story »

Candy- and fruit-flavored cigarettes are now illegal, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said this week. The ban is the first move by the FDA to enact the anti-tobacco initiatives outlined by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, signed by President Obama in June. Full Story »

This week, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, launches its first ever national solo television ad campaign. The ad, which calls for health care reform "NOW, not later," shows just how desperately families touched by cancer need a better health care system. Full Story »

Is there a link between cell phone use and cancer? More research is needed, say experts who met last week to discuss the topic. Full Story »

Hispanic Americans are less likely to die from cancer than other groups, but have higher rates of cancers related to infections (stomach, liver, and cervix) and are more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease when treatment may be more difficult, according to Cancer Facts & Figures for Hispanics 2009-2011, the latest edition of this American Cancer Society report. Full Story »

Over the last 20 years, the number of men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer has increased, due in large part to widespread screening using the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. A new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute shows many of those men – more than a million, by the researchers' calculations – may not have benefitted from that diagnosis. Full Story »

Taking aspirin regularly may help treat colorectal cancer in some patients, according to a new study in JAMA. However, experts say that data, while promising, isn't conclusive and caution patients to talk to their doctor before taking the medicine cabinet staple. Full Story »

A slowly progressive weight-lifting program may help some breast cancer survivors ease the symptoms of lymphedema, according to a new study from the University of Pennsylvania. Full Story »