Global cancer cases could rise 75% by 2030

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Global cancer cases could rise 75% by 2030

By MARIA CHENG - AP Medical Writer - Associated Press Thursday, May 31, 2012


Global cancer cases are projected to rise 75 percent by 2030, in part
because many other diseases are being stamped out and more developing
countries are adopting Western lifestyles linked to cancer,
international cancer experts reported.

While population growth and aging explain much of the increase, at least
one-fifth of the new cancer cases will likely be due to preventable
factors, the researchers predict.

Cancers that are caused by infections, such as cervical cancer and some
liver and stomach cancers, are falling. But experts say that decline
will be outpaced by a surge in cancers linked to bad diet and exercise
habits, smoking and drinking too much alcohol, such as cancers of the
lung, colon and breast.

Researchers estimate that by 2030, the number of people affected by
cancer in some of the poorest countries will increase by more than 90
percent. Previous health initiatives to save people from dying of
infectious diseases such as malaria or AIDS also mean they are living
long enough to develop cancer, which is normally associated with aging.

Experts said developing countries should learn from what's happened in
the West to avoid making similar mistakes.

"There's no need for the lung cancer burden in the West to be
transferred to developing countries," said John Groopman of the Johns
Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. He was not
linked to the study.

He said health officials need to act now to avoid the future crush of
cancer cases. "It's a misconception that nothing can be done," Groopman
said. "If we employed cervical cancer screening and the vaccine (to
prevent it), we could eliminate cervical cancer in this century," he said.

The research was done by scientists at the International Agency for
Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, and the American Cancer Society.
Freddie Bray, an IARC researcher who headed the study, described cancer
as "a byproduct" of countries having increased education, income and
longevity. The paper was published Friday in the journal Lancet Oncology.

Bray and colleagues estimated there would be 22.2 million new cancer
cases in 184 countries by 2030, based on recent cancer trends and
demographic projections from the United Nations. That's up from an
estimated 12.7 million cases in 2008. Bray acknowledged there were some
uncertainties in the data, since cancer registries in Africa, Asia and
Latin America covered less than 10 percent of the population.

In most developing countries, people are more often struck by
infection-caused cancers. But in the future they will be battling not
only those cancers, but also ones linked to lifestyle factors such as
those of the lung, breast and colon.

Bray predicted current smoking rates in China would mean a spike in lung
cancer cases in the next few decades, and he pointed out countries such
as Uganda that already are facing a "double whammy" of cancer, both from
infections and those cancers usually seen in the West.

Other experts said because cancer is such an expensive disease to treat,
poor countries need to focus on prevention.

"Even developed countries can't afford to pay for some of the newer,
targeted cancer treatments," said Raghib Ali, a cancer expert at Oxford
University.

Ali said it might be possible to avoid one-third to one-half of future
cancers by persuading people everywhere to eat healthier, quit smoking
and exercise. "Unfortunately, these are a lot of the things that people
don't want to do," he said.

___

Online:

www.lancet.com

[None Given]

On Monday, June 4, 2012 5:52:36 AM UTC-7, (unknown) wrote:
> Global cancer cases could rise 75% by 2030
>
> By MARIA CHENG - AP Medical Writer - Associated Press Thursday, May 31, 2012
>
>
> Global cancer cases are projected to rise 75 percent by 2030, in part
> because many other diseases are being stamped out and more developing
> countries are adopting Western lifestyles linked to cancer,
> international cancer experts reported.
>
> While population growth and aging explain much of the increase, at least
> one-fifth of the new cancer cases will likely be due to preventable
> factors, the researchers predict.
>
> Cancers that are caused by infections, such as cervical cancer and some
> liver and stomach cancers, are falling. But experts say that decline
> will be outpaced by a surge in cancers linked to bad diet and exercise
> habits, smoking and drinking too much alcohol, such as cancers of the
> lung, colon and breast.
>
> Researchers estimate that by 2030, the number of people affected by
> cancer in some of the poorest countries will increase by more than 90
> percent. Previous health initiatives to save people from dying of
> infectious diseases such as malaria or AIDS also mean they are living
> long enough to develop cancer, which is normally associated with aging.
>
> Experts said developing countries should learn from what's happened in
> the West to avoid making similar mistakes.
>
> "There's no need for the lung cancer burden in the West to be
> transferred to developing countries," said John Groopman of the Johns
> Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. He was not
> linked to the study.
>
> He said health officials need to act now to avoid the future crush of
> cancer cases. "It's a misconception that nothing can be done," Groopman
> said. "If we employed cervical cancer screening and the vaccine (to
> prevent it), we could eliminate cervical cancer in this century," he said.
>
> The research was done by scientists at the International Agency for
> Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, and the American Cancer Society.
> Freddie Bray, an IARC researcher who headed the study, described cancer
> as "a byproduct" of countries having increased education, income and
> longevity. The paper was published Friday in the journal Lancet Oncology.
>
> Bray and colleagues estimated there would be 22.2 million new cancer
> cases in 184 countries by 2030, based on recent cancer trends and
> demographic projections from the United Nations. That's up from an
> estimated 12.7 million cases in 2008. Bray acknowledged there were some
> uncertainties in the data, since cancer registries in Africa, Asia and
> Latin America covered less than 10 percent of the population.
>
> In most developing countries, people are more often struck by
> infection-caused cancers. But in the future they will be battling not
> only those cancers, but also ones linked to lifestyle factors such as
> those of the lung, breast and colon.
>
> Bray predicted current smoking rates in China would mean a spike in lung
> cancer cases in the next few decades, and he pointed out countries such
> as Uganda that already are facing a "double whammy" of cancer, both from
> infections and those cancers usually seen in the West.
>
> Other experts said because cancer is such an expensive disease to treat,
> poor countries need to focus on prevention.
>
> "Even developed countries can't afford to pay for some of the newer,
> targeted cancer treatments," said Raghib Ali, a cancer expert at Oxford
> University.
>
> Ali said it might be possible to avoid one-third to one-half of future
> cancers by persuading people everywhere to eat healthier, quit smoking
> and exercise. "Unfortunately, these are a lot of the things that people
> don't want to do," he said.
>
> ___
>
> Online:
>
> www.lancet.com

In the case of esophageal cancer the discover and use of histamine 2
acid reducers and proton pump inhibitor classes of drugs are associated
with an INCREASE in cancers of the esophagus. So the folks at Lancet
have played their role as well, IMO.

Trig