Americans are a third less likely to die of cancer at the same ages than in 1990

mind & bodyanalysisOur World in Data1990–2020s · United States

Americans are a third less likely to die of cancer at the same ages than in 1990

the gist

At the same age, Americans today are about one third less likely to die from cancer than Americans were in 1990. Cancer is not one disease, but the overall death risk has fallen because of several factors working together. The largest single driver is the long decline in smoking, since tobacco causes many cancers, especially lung cancer. Better screening has caught some cancers earlier, and treatments such as improved chemotherapy, targeted drugs and immunotherapy have raised survival for many types. Measuring risk at each age, rather than total deaths, separates real progress from changes in the population's age structure. The result is one of the clearest public health improvements of the past three decades.

how it works

Age-specific death rates divide the number of cancer deaths at each age by the population of that age. Because older people are more likely to get cancer, comparing rates at the same ages removes the effect of an aging population.

so what

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, so a steep fall in age-specific risk saves a large number of lives. It shows that prevention and treatment can work together over decades.

Our World in Data · CC BY 4.0

Image: Our World in Data, CC BY 4.0

source: Our World in Data ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗