Cancer And Its Facts

Cancers are among the leading causes of death worldwide , accounting for 8.2 million deaths in 2012 ( 1).

Lung , liver , stomach , colorectal and breast cancer cause the most cancer deaths each year.

Approximately 30% of cancer deaths are due to five main behavioral and dietary risks : high body mass index , low consumption of fruits and vegetables, lack of physical activity, smoking , alcohol consumption.
Tobacco use is the most important for the cancer causing over 20 % of all cancer deaths and 70 % of deaths due to lung cancer risk factor.
Carcinogenic viral infections such as HBV / HCV and HPV are responsible for nearly 20% of cancer deaths in low-and middle-income countries ( 2).
More than 60 % of the total number of new cases annually worldwide occur in Africa, Asia and Central and South America . These regions account for 70% of cancer deaths worldwide ( 1).
It is expected that annual cancer cases will increase from 14 million in 2012 to 22 in the next two decades ( 1).
Cancer is a generic term for a large group of diseases that can affect any part of the body. In other terms is malignant tumor. A hallmark of cancer is the rapid creation of abnormal cells that grow beyond their usual boundaries , and which can then invade adjoining parts of the body and spread to other organs. This process is called metastasis . Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer deaths.

The Problem

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide , accounting for 8.2 million deaths in 2012 ( 1). The main types of cancer are :

lung (1.59 million deaths )
liver ( 745 000 deaths)
stomach ( 723 000 deaths)
colorectal ( 694 000 deaths)
breast (521 000 deaths )
esophageal cancer ( 400,000 deaths) ( 1).

What causes cancer ?

Cancer is from a single cell. The transformation of a normal cell into a tumor cell is a multistage process , generally a progression of a premalignant lesion to a malignant tumor . These changes are the result of the interaction between genetic factors of a person and the three categories of external agents, including :
physical carcinogens , such as ultraviolet and ionizing radiation ;
chemical carcinogens such as asbestos , components of tobacco smoke , aflatoxins ( a food contaminant ) and arsenic ( contaminant of drinking water ) , and biological carcinogens, such as bacteria or parasites.


WHO , through its Agency for Research on Cancer , International Agency for Research on Cancer ( IARC) , maintains a classification of carcinogens .

Ageing is another fundamental factor for the development of cancer. The incidence of cancer increases dramatically with age, probably due to an accumulation of risks for specific cancers that increase with age.

The risk factors for cancers

Tobacco use , alcohol consumption , poor diet and physical inactivity are the main risk factors for cancer worldwide . Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV ) , hepatitis C ( HCV) and some types of human papillomavirus (HPV) are leading risk factors for cancer in low- and middle-income . Cervical cancer , which is caused by HPV, is the leading cause of cancer death among women in low-income countries .

How the burden of cancer can be reduced ?

Knowledge about the causes of cancer , and interventions to prevent and manage the disease is extensive. Cancer can be overcome by implementing strategies based on evidence for cancer prevention , early cancer detection and management of cancer patients . Many cancers have a high chance of cure if detected early and treated adequately.

Change and avoid risk factors

More than 30% of cancer deaths could be prevented by modifying or avoiding key risk factors , including:

tobacco
being overweight or obese
poor diet , low consumption of fruits and vegetables
lack of physical activity
alcohol
Sexually transmitted HPV infection
pollution of urban air


Tobacco use is the most important for the cancer causing about 22% of cancer deaths and 71 % of deaths due to lung cancer risk factor. In many low-income countries , up to 20 % of cancer deaths are due to infection with HBV and HPV.

Prevention strategies
Increase the avoidance of the risk factors described above .
Vaccinated against the human papilloma virus ( HPV) and hepatitis B (HBV).
Control occupational hazards .
Reduce exposure to sunlight.
Early detection

Cancer mortality can be reduced if cases are detected and treated early . There are two components of early detection efforts :

Early diagnosis

Awareness of early signs and symptoms ( for cancers such as cervical , breast and colorectal oral ) to make the diagnosed and treated early before the disease becomes advanced . Early diagnosis programs are particularly relevant in low-resource settings where the majority of patients are diagnosed at a very advanced and where there is no screening stage.

Screening

Screening is defined as the systematic application of a test in an asymptomatic population. It aims to identify people with abnormalities suggestive of a specific cancer or pre- cancer and refer them promptly for diagnosis and treatment. Screening programs are particularly effective for frequent cancer types for which testing affordable, acceptable and accessible cost is available for the majority of the population at risk.

Examples of screening methods are :

visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) for cervical cancer in low-resource settings ;
Pap test for cervical cancer in the medium and high-income areas.

Treatment

Cancer treatment requires careful selection of one or more interventions , such as surgery , radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The aim is to cure the disease or significantly prolong life and improve the quality of life of the patient. Diagnosis and treatment of cancer is complemented by counseling.

Treatment of early cancers detected

Some types of the most common cancer, such as breast cancer, cervical cancer , oral cancer and colorectal cancer have higher cure rate when detected early and treated according to best practices.

The treatment of other cancers with a potential curing
Certain types of cancer, even if disseminated, such as leukemias and lymphomas in children, and testicular seminoma , have high cure rates if appropriate treatment is provided.

Palliative care

Palliative care is a treatment to relieve , rather than cure , symptoms caused by the cancer. Palliative care can help people live more comfortably , it is an urgent humanitarian needs of people in the world living with cancer and other chronic fatal diseases. It is particularly necessary in areas with a high proportion of patients with advanced stage where there is little chance of recovery.

Relief can be obtained in 90 % of patients with advanced cancer with palliative care.

Palliative care strategies

Effective public health strategies , including - community and home care are essential for pain relief and palliative care for patients and their families in low-resource settings .

Improving access to oral morphine is required for the treatment of moderate to severe pain of cancer, suffered more than 80% of patients with terminal cancer .

WHO Response

In 2013, WHO launched the Global Plan of Action for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2013-2030 which aims to reduce by 25% premature mortality from cancer , cardiovascular disease, diabetes and respiratory diseases chronic .

WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer ( IARC), the specialized agency for Research on Cancer of WHO to collaborate with other UN agencies and partners to :

increase commitment to prevention against cancer ;
coordinate and conduct research on the causes of human cancer, the mechanisms of carcinogenesis ;
develop scientific strategies for the fight against cancer ;
generate new and existing knowledge to facilitate the delivery of evidence-based in the fight against cancer data approaches;
develop standards and tools to guide the planning and implementation of interventions for prevention , early detection , treatment and care;
facilitate extensive networks of partners and experts to fight against cancer at the global,
strengthen health systems to provide healing and care for cancer patients and
provide technical assistance for the fast and efficient transfer of best practice interventions in developing countries .