Cancer is a leading cause of mortality globally – in 2008 it accounted for 7.6 million deaths, by 2030 it is estimated that over 13 million people will die of the disease. As the world’s population continues to age, the incidence of cancer – and other chronic diseases that primarily affect the elderly – is rising
According to the World Health Organization, more than 30 per cent of cancer deaths could be prevented by avoiding tobacco and alcohol, taking regular exercise, modifying diet and maintaining a healthy body weight.
Publicity about the link between tobacco and lung cancer has driven the decline in smoking in many high and middle-income countries, so incidence of the disease in these areas is thought to occur primarily among ex-smokers. In recent years, the tobacco industry has turned its focus on developing regions, and smoking prevalence is growing in countries whose health-care systems will struggle to cope with a rise in cases of lung cancer.
Cancer mortality rates vary worldwide and are much higher in low and middle-income countries where an estimated 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur. Differences are likely to be due to improved access to health care and better prognosis for cancers common in developed countries.
