WeeklySA_AdminINCIDENCE: Nearly 20 million new cases of the disease were diagnosed last year, according to the World Health Organization…
By WSAM Reporter
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of the growing scourge of cancer across the world, revealing that there were an estimated 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million deaths worldwide last year.
Releasing the figures on Wednesday ahead of World Cancer Day which falls on February 4, WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) expressed concern that low-income countries lacked resources to provide basic cancer care, including palliative service patients diagnosed with the disease. WHO also published survey results from 115 countries, showing a majority of countries do not adequately finance priority cancer and palliative care services, as part of universal health coverage (UHC).
The IARC estimates, based on the best sources of data available in countries in 2022, highlight the growing burden of cancer, the disproportionate impact on under-served populations, and the urgent need to address cancer inequities worldwide.
In 2022, there were an estimated 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million deaths, of which resulted from three major cancer types: lung, breast and colorectal cancers, according to the IARC report. Other statistics were: female breast cancer ranked second (2.3 million cases, 11.6%), followed by colorectal cancer (1.9 million cases, 9.6%), prostate cancer (1.5 million cases, 7.3%), and stomach cancer (970 000 cases, 4.9%).
“Lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer death (1.8 million deaths, 18.7% of the total cancer deaths) followed by colorectal cancer (900 000 deaths, 9.3%), liver cancer (760 000 deaths, 7.8%), breast cancer (670 000 deaths, 6.9%) and stomach cancer (660 000 deaths, 6.8%). Lung cancer’s re-emergence as the most common cancer is likely related to persistent tobacco use in Asia,” the IARC report revealed.
“There were some differences by sex in incidence and mortality from the global total for both sexes. For women, the most commonly diagnosed cancer and leading cause of cancer death was breast cancer, whereas it was lung cancer for men. Breast cancer was the most common cancer in women in the vast majority of countries (157 of 185)”.
For men, prostate and colorectal cancers were the second and third most commonly occurring cancers, while liver and colorectal cancers were the second and third most common causes of cancer death. For women, lung and colorectal cancer were second and third for both the number of new cases and of deaths. Cervical cancer was the eighth most commonly occurring cancer globally and the ninth leading cause of cancer death, accounting for 661 044 new cases and 348 186 deaths. It was the most common cancer in women in 25 countries, many of which are in sub-Saharan Africa.
The organisation said about one in five people were most likely to develop cancer in their lifetime, translating into approximately one in nine men and one in 12 women likely to die from the disease.
“The estimated number of people who were alive within 5 years following a cancer diagnosis was 53.5 million,” said the IARC.
The WHO global survey revealed that only 39 percent of countries surveyed covered the basics of cancer management as part of their financed core health services for all citizens; and only 28 percent of surveyed countries additionally covered care for people who require palliative care, including pain relief in general, and not just linked to cancer.
The new IARC estimates showed that 10 types of cancer collectively comprised around two-thirds of new cases and deaths globally in 2022. This data covered 185 countries.
“The impact of this increase will not be felt evenly across countries of different HDI levels. Those who have the fewest resources to manage their cancer burdens will bear the brunt of the global cancer burden,” said Dr Freddie Bray, Head of Cancer Surveillance at IARC.
Reacting to the survey, Dr Cary Adams, head of UICC (Union for International Cancer Control) said: “Despite the progress that has been made in the early detection of cancers and the treatment and care of cancer patients–significant disparities in cancer treatment outcomes exist, not only between high and low-income regions of the world, but also within countries. Where someone lives should not determine whether they live. Tools exist to enable governments to prioritise cancer care, and to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, quality services. This is not just a resource issue but a matter of political will”.
