* More than 66 percent of adults diagnosed with cancer were expected to live five or more years after diagnosis (National Cancer Institute).

* The five-year and beyond disease-free survival rate for early stage breast, prostate and colorectal cancers exceeds 90 percent, with death more likely to occur from other health problems (NCI).

* The number of cancer survivors has tripled since 1971 (ACS, 2006) and the number of survivors is expected to double again by 2030 (NCI, 2006).

* Cancer survivors face the risk of recurrence of their disease and are at a higher than average risk of developing a new malignancy. There also can be serious psychological, emotional, economic, and social impacts that may be felt for years.

In North Dakota:

* Between 1997 and 2002, 10,061 men and 8,366 women were diagnosed with cancer. Tobacco use is the cause of more than one-third of all cancer diagnoses in North Dakota. About 375 new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed each year. Smoking causes about 87 percent of lung cancer deaths.

* About 580 new prostate cancers are diagnosed in North Dakota per year, the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the state. In 2000, there were an estimated 3,700 prostate cancer survivors in North Dakota.

* Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer for women, with 450 new cases per year in North Dakota, the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women in the state. About 5,000 North Dakota women were breast cancer survivors in 2000.