Once again I hear the excitement in the headlines – cancer death rates are dropping.

But for me the news feels bittersweet. Reading through the report elicited feelings reminiscent of those I felt when I once attended a baby shower and a funeral on the same day.

First the expectant news – and it is exciting. Cancer death rates in the U.S. dropped 2% for men during the period from 2001 to 2006, and 1.5% for women from 2002 to 2006. This represents a decline in the death rate from the 4 major cancers in both men and women, except…

The somber news. Lung cancer deaths in women continue to increase, though they appear to be stabilizing.