Cancer Cases to Rise to Twenty Two Million Every Year: Warns UN

The United Nations warned that there would be twenty two million new cases of cancer every year by 2030.  The report was released on the eve of World Cancer Day and was compiled by more than 250 scientists from over forty countries. The report based on the analysis of the most deadly disease was the first synopsis of its kind in six years.

According to the reports from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the figure will be increasing significantly due to global aging and the spread of cancers to developing countries. The studies revealed that out of 53% of cancer cases 57% of deaths were among men.

In 2011, cancer overtook all other diseases to become the number one cause of death in the world. The World Cancer Report says that in men, cancer most often attacked lungs (16.7%) followed by prostate (15%), colorectum (10%), stomach (8.5%), and liver (7.5%). For women, cancer was most common in the breast (25.2%), colorectum (9.2%), lung (8.7%), cervix (7.9%) and stomach (4.8%). The Lyon-based cancer arm of the WHO said more than 60 percent of the world’s cancer cases were in Africa, Asia, Central and South America.

IARC called for the enforcement of stronger laws to encourage healthier lifestyles with cutting down on alcohol, sugary drinks, high tobacco and processed foods. Vaccination against hepatitis B and the human papillomavirus could reduce cancers of the liver and cervix and the importance of physical activity which can counter obesity need to be stressed.

Infoeditor