If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of a phone call that starts out with something like, “So-and-so (person you love) has been in an accident,” followed by a winding and twisting tale that eventually ends with, “But they’re ok,” you know the importance of leading with the good news.

Death rates from cancer are down by 27 per cent over the last 25 years, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society. Smoking is a big part of that (lung cancer deaths are way down), and treatments have gotten better over the decades.