The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention proposes that all baby boomers (individuals born 1945-1965) be screened for the hepatitis C virus (HCV), as this group is five times more likely than other American adults to be infected and overall deaths due to HCV are on the rise.

Early diagnosis of HCV is vital, since the longer the virus goes undetected, the greater a person's risk of developing serious liver disease, including liver cancer and cirrhosis.

A large, randomized trial shows that the HPV vaccine Gardasil is more than 90 percent effective in preventing cervical cancer in women aged 24 to 45 who received all three vaccine doses, and who were not infected by the virus. While the vaccine is currently approved only for younger women, it is being considered by the FDA for use in women over age 26.

Studies link declines in breast cancer incidence in women aged 50 and older to decreased use of hormone replacement therapy involving estrogen and progestin. One study reports that the rate of new breast cancer cases declined as much as 13 percent between 2001 and 2003, though researchers suggest other factors could have also played a role, such as increased use of mammography. Until 2002, when researchers first identified this significantly increased breast cancer risk, hormone replacement therapy was commonly prescribed to relieve the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness.

The Iowa Radon Lung Cancer Study demonstrates that ongoing exposure to residential radon – a naturally-occurring radioactive gas that can emerge through basements and crawl spaces – is associated with increased risk of lung cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency now estimates that more than 20,000 lung cancer cases in the U.S. are due to long-term radon exposure in the home. Since the study, radon inspections have become a routine part of homeownership, promising to reduce the future burden of the disease.