The leading killer in the United States and across the globe is currently heart disease however, according to the World Health Organization, that is about to change. Cancer is quickly replacing heart disease as the world's number one killer due to various worldwide factors.
The number of patients diagnosed annually with cancer is expected to continually rise over the next decades. In 2008 the number of new cancer cases is expected to reach 12 million with deaths attributed to the disease in the amount of 7 million.
The world's population is continually growing and with that growth comes an increase in the number of new cancer cases. Smoking has become more popular in many developing countries and the populations of India and China now hold over 40% of the world's smokers. The United States, in contrast, has experienced a decrease in smoking over the past decade and less than 20% of America's adults smoke cigarettes. This fact has caused a decrease in the number of U.S. cancer cases. Improved cancer screening methods and better treatments have also helped reduce America's cancer rates.
Many cancer organizations gathered recently to draw attention to the global threat of the disease. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (a part of WHO) released a report that details the current statistics.
According to the report, "The global cancer burden doubled in the last thirty years of the twentieth century, and it is estimated that this will double again between 2000 and 2020, and nearly triple by 2030."
The report outlined additional issues regarding worldwide cancer care including the fact that narcotics are illegal in some African countries even for use during cancer treatment. Many of those same countries have very limited budgets for health care and communicable diseases spread rapidly.
As the Westernized world has seen a decrease in cancer, poorer countries have seen a huge increase. In fact, today more people die from cancer than from TB, malaria and HIV combined. The recent gathering of cancer organizations hopes to spotlight this fact and get assistance from the U.S. government.
Dr. Boyle said, "The rapid increase in the global cancer burden represents a real challenge for health systems worldwide. However, there is a clear message of hope: although cancer is a devastating disease, it is largely preventable. We know that preventive measures such as tobacco control, reduction of alcohol consumption increased physical activity, vaccination for Hepatitis B and Human Papillomavirus (HPV), and screening and awareness could have a great impact on reducing the global cancer burden."
No comments:
Post a Comment