Today we are observing World Cancer Day and with the advancement in science and more awareness among us, we boast of having conquered our fight against cancer. But the World Health Organization (WHO) report, released on Tuesday, has made some glaring exposure.
The WHO has cautioned against the rising cases of cancer globally, saying that it is expected to surge about 57 percent worldwide in the next two decades i.e. 2030. Amid this worrisome situation, the international health body has expressed urgent need for its prevention techniques.
‘The World Cancer Report’ has called the coming time as a “human disaster.”
The report states that the next 20 years is expected to see a big rise in the cancer cases. The new cancer cases are expected to rise from an estimated 14 million in 2014 to 22 million annually within the next 20 years. Moreover, the deaths from cancer are likewise expected to rise from 8.2 million a year to a whopping 13 million annually.
The report was compiled by more than 250 scientists from over 40 countries for the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
The report has attributed surge in tobacco sale, alcohol use, eating processed foods and not exercising enough as the main drivers of cancer. Cancer has overtaken heart disease as the major cause of death worldwide in 2011.
Margaret Chan, Director General of WHO, said the overall impact from cancer would tremendously hit developing countries the hardest as these nations are already struggling with poverty-related cancers.
IARC director Christopher Wild, moreover, sought focus on its prevention.
Highlights of Report
- Men were found to be at higher risk with 53 percent of cancer cases and 57 percent of deaths registered among them.
- In men, cancer mainly attacked the lungs (16.7 per cent) followed by the prostate (15 per cent), colorectum (10 per cent), stomach (8.5 per cent), and liver (7.5 per cent).
- For women, cancer was most common in the breast (25.2 per cent), colorectum (9.2 per cent), lung (8.7 per cent), cervix (7.9 per cent) and stomach (4.8 per cent).
