The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) recently launched a campaign to increase cancer awareness in the United States.

Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States, with 1.4 million cases expected to be diagnosed this year, according to PhRMA. More than 1,500 of these patients will die each day from the disease.

The multimedia campaign will stress the importance of patients consulting with their doctors and will promote Web sites with information about new treatments and prevention.

“Because early diagnosis can improve treatment outcomes, it is clear that education is important for patients,” says Billy Tauzin, PhRMA president and CEO. “Knowledge and early action can often help turn cancer from a killer into a more manageable disease.”

In 2003, new and improved cancer treatments helped drive down the total number of people who died from cancer for the first time in more than 70 years, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Today, 646 new medicines that can treat or prevent many types of cancer are in the development pipeline.

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