Cancer To Overtake Heart Disease As the World's top Killer by 2010

An international gathering of health organizations has declared that the rise in cancer is part of a trend that could also more than double the number of global cancer cases and deaths by 2030.

The organizations, which among others include the World Health Organization (WHO, Geneva, Switzerland), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC; Lyon, France), the American Cancer Society (Atlanta, GA, USA), the Lance Armstrong Foundation (Austin, TX, USA), and the National Cancer Institute of Mexico (Mexico City) convened in Atlanta (GA, USA) in December 2008 to call on world governments to act, and are specifically asking the United States to help fund cervical cancer vaccinations and to ratify an international tobacco control treaty. Rising tobacco use in developing countries is believed to be a major reason for the shift, particularly in China and India, where 40% of the world's smokers now live.

The figures are based on data from a new report by the WHO that shows that cancer diagnoses around the world have steadily been rising each year, and are expected to reach 12 million by 2009. Global cancer deaths are expected to reach 7 million, with an expected subsequent annual rise of 1% in cases and deaths - with even larger increases in China, Russia, and India. That means new cancer cases will likely mushroom to 27 million annually by 2030, with deaths hitting 17 million. One of the factors underlying this increase is an expected expansion of the world's population; by 2030, there could be 75 million people living with cancer around the world, a number that many health care systems are currently not equipped to handle.

"This is going to present an amazing problem at every level in every society worldwide," said Peter Boyle, director of the IARC.

"If we take action, we can keep the numbers from going where they would otherwise go," said John Seffrin, CEO of The American Cancer Society.

"Cancer is one of the greatest untold health crises of the developing world," said Douglas Blayney, M.D., president-elect of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. "Few are aware that cancer already kills more people in poor countries than HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. And if current smoking trends continue, the problem will get significantly worse."

Related Links:
World Health Organization
International Agency for Research on Cancer
American Cancer Society
The Lance Armstrong Foundation
National Cancer Institute of Mexico