The death tolls from three of the most common cancers in the UK have dropped to their lowest levels for almost 40 years, according to new figures.

The death tolls from three of the most common cancers in the UK have dropped to their lowest levels for almost 40 years, according to new figures.

Cancer Research UK said mortality rates for breast, bowel and male lung cancer had fallen, despite more than 100,000 people being diagnosed with these forms of the disease every year.

The charity said that better screening and new treatments, including the development of drugs such as Herceptin, were leading to the reduction in deaths from cancer, while a drop in the number of smokers had contributed to the reduction of male lung cancer deaths.

Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: "Our research is behind 19 of the top 20 drugs used to treat cancer patients worldwide today. Our work has underpinned the huge progress we are now seeing in preventing more deaths from lung cancer. And our progress over decades has helped to develop radiotherapy as a major form of treatment for half of all cancer patients."

Figures collated annually by the charity show that the number of deaths from the three forms of cancer rose from 1971, but have now all fallen to their lowest levels.

In 1971, 12,472 women died from breast cancer and the number of deaths reached their highest level in 1989, when 15,625 women died. By 2007 the number had fallen to 11,990.

The number of people who died from bowel cancer dropped from 18,110 in 1971 to 16,007 in 2007. It had reached 19,598 in 1992.

Some 28,395 men died from lung cancer in 1971, but that rose to 30,391 in 1979 and dropped to 19,367 two years ago.

Cancer Research UK said it was launching a TV advertising campaign to improve awareness and raise money for further research.