Anita Thornton has reason to sing. At 40, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

"I just went for it. I said, I'm gonna do this. I'm not gonna let it get me”

It didn't. 12 years later, she's cancer free.

"I try to tell people now, that, you know, hopefully, you know, in a year, when you look back, it's all gonna be behind you, and it's not gonna be the first thing that you think of every day."

The American Cancer Society reports half a million cancer deaths have been avoided since death rates first started dropping in the early 90s.

"It's being driven by reductions in tobacco smoking. Ah, for breast cancer, by the combination of mammography, finding cancers early when they are more treatable and improvements in treatment,” says Dr. Michael Thun from the American Cancer Society.

Still, the Cancer Society predicts almost a million and a half new cases this year.

The most common cancers for men: prostate, lung, and colon. For women, breast, lung, and colon. In fact, lung cancer in women is the only major category on the rise. The Cancer Society says politicians can help.

"We know things like raising the price of cigarettes, having smoke-free zones that are comprehensive across a whole state, having federal tobacco control....all of that would be very important,” says Dr. Thun.

Since the 90's, cancer death rates have dropped 18% for men, and 10% for women. Even though those numbers slowed a bit in recent years, experts remain confident that people like Anita will live longer and have something to sing about.

More than half a million Americans are expected to die of cancer this year. Scientists and doctors say early diagnosis, improves their chances of survival.