“Tidal wave” of cancer predicted
WHO predicts doubling of annual cancer cases by year 2034
Scientists from the World Health Organization (WHO) have issued a warning about a looming “human disaster” – cancer. Alarming forecasts of global cancer statistics were revealed in The World Cancer Report 2014 released by the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in February this year. The book also called for urgent preventative measures beyond treatment alone to curb the crisis.
Currently, 14 million people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer each year, but the report forecasts that the number is likely to rise to 24 million within 20 years. Cancer deaths are also predicted to increase from the current annual 8.2 million to 13 million in the same period. But treatment alone is not the answer. While the rising incidence of cancer is due mainly to ageing populations and population growth, the report also points out that half of the cases in this “tidal wave” of cancer could be prevented by reducing risk factors, such as smoking, alcohol use, obesity, air pollution and other environmental issues.
Developing nations hardest hit
According to the report, lung cancer was the most common form of the disease diagnosed in 2012, followed by that of the breast and large bowel. The most common causes of cancer deaths were lung cancer, followed by liver cancer and stomach cancer. Seventy percent of the world’s cancer deaths occur in developing countries, which is partially the result of lack of early detection and access to treatment.
However, developed nations are also struggling with the burden of cancer on healthcare systems. The total annual economic cost of cancer amounted to US$1.16 trillion in 2010. Pushing governments to implement crucial screening and early detection programmes, Dr Bernard W. Stewart from the University of New South Wales in Australia and co-editor of the Report, emphasised in a press release by the IARC that such initiatives are “investments rather than costs”.
Further links:
Iarc.fr
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