If cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc are on the rise, why is our

[kathy]

average life expectancy so high? You know what they say, cancer, diabetes, etc, is on the rise, 1/4 of all people will get cancer, 1/8 of women will get breast cancer, etc. Heart disease is on the rise, chemicals here and there will give you cancer. Food will give you cancer, blah blah blah.

Then why is it our life expectancy has increased to our 80s? Back before we worried about dioxins and chlorine and such, people worried about polio and tuberculosis, and our life expectancy was around our 40s and 50s!

[superglueonlighter]

the endless source of deadly drugs put out by the health care industry to treat the symptoms and not the disease

[Nomvalt]

New and advances in technology probably play a role in both sides. Though the heightened life-span probably wins in this tug-and-war-battle. For example radiotherapy can now be used to get rid of most cancers. A coronary artery can be unblocked by performing angioplasty.