Cancer has long been the second most common cause of death (behind heart disease) in the United States.

Cancer risk increases with age, so that older people are much more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than younger people. The following time series plots present the number of deaths from cancer per 100,000 people, and the life expectancy, for the years 1930–2010.

a. In which year was the death rate from cancer the highest? In which year was it the lowest?

b. Has life expectancy been increasing or decreasing during the years 1930–2010?

c. Treatments for cancer have been improving since 1930. Yet the death rate from cancer increased during the period 1930–1990. How can this be explained?

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80 80 Deaths per 100,000 people 150 100- 50 200 Life Expectancy 60 40 40 20 20 Cancer deaths per 100,000 people 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Life Expectancy 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010