Geneva.- More than 90% of the world’s population will be affected at least once and in some way by cancer, whether directly or through a family member, and one in five people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime, according to research endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The organization, together with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), released a report this Wednesday that “offers the most comprehensive assessment ever conducted on the global situation regarding cancer prevention and control,” the head of this area at the WHO, Andre Ilbawi, assured the press.
Despite advances in treatments and prevention, more and more people will suffer and die from cancer in the coming years.
“Survival does not depend so much on the type or stage of cancer, as it does on the country where one lives and the economic situation,” said Isabelle Soerjomataram, Deputy Head of the Cancer Surveillance Branch at IARC, at the same presentation.
Cancer causes the death of 26,000 people worldwide every day, with 20.6 million new cases per year and 10 million deaths, making it the second leading cause of death in the world, only behind cardiovascular diseases.
By 2050, deaths will rise to 35 million per year, but the distribution of that mortality will be marked by increasing inequalities that leave millions of people without access to prevention services, diagnostics, treatments, or care.
Ilbawi cited as an example that currently more than 85% of women with breast cancer survive at least five years after their diagnosis in high-income countries, but that proportion drops to less than 30% in many low-income countries.
The report includes the first survey conducted by the WHO among patients, which revealed that at least 45% experience financial difficulties, more than half report suffering from mental health problems, and almost all caregivers state they have a significant burden, which includes unpaid care work and social isolation.
More Read
Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in the world
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, while lung, prostate, and colon cancers are among the most frequent in men.
We recommend reading: WHO warns that Ebola is spreading in DRC and its “true magnitude” is unknown
In women, the most common are breast, lung, and colon cancer.
The analysis also offers a reading of the results of public policies to lower tobacco consumption (27% less since 2010), which has helped to reduce cases and deaths from lung cancer in some regions.
Infection-related cancers are also declining thanks to expanded immunization coverage, improved access to water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as infection prevention and control measures, the WHO notes.
However, it acknowledges that “lives are not being saved at the necessary rate,” even though nearly four out of every ten cancer cases are linked to preventable risk factors.
The main ones are human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B and C, and the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, in addition to alcohol and tobacco consumption, overweight, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle.
More Read
Another example is that in low- and middle-income countries, the availability of the twenty priority cancer medicines is between 9% and 54%, while in wealthy countries it ranges from 68% to 94%.
The WHO advocated for making cancer prevention a political priority, investing in treatments, and maintaining a commitment to tobacco control and vaccination programs.
