We are searching data for your request:
World Cancer Report: Cancer will continue to rise in 2014
The outlook for the World Cancer Report is bleak. A cure for the disease will not be available in the foreseeable future. Cancer is increasingly becoming the scourge of humanity. Usually, a combination of several factors leads to the development of cancer. It does not suddenly appear out of the blue, as happens, for example, with a flu-like infection. It can be assumed that cancer had already gone through a multi-year development phase at the time of diagnosis.
Around one in four in Germany dies of cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts a strong increase in new cases by 2015 and, together with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), is calling for stricter laws and large-scale preventive campaigns.
20 million new cases are expected by 2025 According to a study by the WHO, 20 million new cases could occur annually by 2025. That is about 40 percent more than is currently the case. The 2014 cancer report published on Monday estimated around 14 million new cases in 2012. 8.2 million people have died as a result of uncontrolled malignant cell growth. For the next two decades, an increase to 70 percent is not unrealistic. The WHO calculated the numbers in part on the basis of the forecast rapid population growth and the increasing life expectancy that is taking place as a result of medical-technical progress. The harmful lifestyle of the economically emerging countries, which has already taken place in Western European countries and will contribute to the current figures, will also be noticeable.
WHO and IRAC call for stricter laws against smoking However, an increasingly efficient treatment of the disease is not enough to fight cancer effectively. IARC director Christopher Wild emphasized that there have been "exciting new developments" in therapy options in recent years. "But we cannot solve the cancer problem by treatment alone. Worldwide, countries have to do something together. First and foremost, this includes tightening anti-smoking laws and regulating alcohol and sugary drinks." Consumption must be restricted , according to the expert's opinion.
"The right legislation can promote more health-conscious behavior," said co-author Bernard Stewart. In the past, smoking had already shown success through higher taxes, advertising bans and prevention campaigns. Governments also need to offer more screening to the population. But that alone will not be enough. The effects of obesity and increasing air pollution, both of which play a crucial role in the development of cancer, will also need to be addressed more closely in the future.
Lung cancer particularly widespread According to the report, the number of new cases of lung cancer has increased particularly drastically. This is how the diagnosis came to 1.8 million people in 2012. With approximately 1.6 million deaths, lung cancer has the highest death rate, followed by liver cancer (750,000) and stomach cancer (over 700,000). Ultimately, this is due to the poor chances of recovery. After all, this is a share of 13 percent and compared to breast cancer, 1.7 million (11.9 percent) and colon cancer with 1.4 million (9.7 percent) the largest increase. It is also striking that poorer countries have the most deaths from cancer. According to this, about 70 percent of all cancer-related deaths are said to occur in Asia, Central and South America. The WHO sees the lack of diagnostic options as a reason for this.
Increase in new cases The WHO estimates that there were a good 3.4 million new cases in Europe in 2012, of which 13.5 percent were breast cancer, 13 percent colorectal cancer, 12.1 percent prostate cancer and 11.9 percent lung cancer.
The fact that cancer was diagnosed in 2012 in five million men and women in Europe was positive in 2012. A fifth of these survivors were breast cancer patients, almost 17 percent had prostate cancer, and a good 13 percent had overcome colon cancer. A total of over 250 researchers from 40 countries worked on the report. (fr)
Photo credit: tokamuwi / pixelio.de