18 December 2007

Cancer, Cancer!

As more and more people smoke, here are some troubling numbers from epidemiologists:
About 7.6 million people will die this year worldwide from various types of cancer, with lung cancer --- heavily driven by smoking --- killing 975,000 men and 376,000 women, the American Cancer Society said on Monday.

In all, about 12.3 million people will develop cancer this year, the organization projected, using data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization.

[Reuters, 17 Dec 2008]
Other significant findings:
  1. 20,000 people die of cancer every day worldwide.

  2. Based on estimates, 5.4 million people will get cancer and 2.9 million will die of cancer in developed nations, with 6.7 million cases and 4.7 million deaths in developing nations.

  3. In developing nations, like the Philippines, cancers of the stomach, liver, and cervix are more common.

  4. Fifteen percent (15%) of all cancers are caused by infections --- there's H.pylori for stomach cancer and HPV for cervical cancer.

  5. Most common cancers among men in developing countries: lung, stomach, and liver cancers.

  6. Most common cancers among men in developed countries: prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers.

  7. Most common cancers among women in developing countries: breast, cervical, and stomach cancers.

  8. Most common cancers among women in developed countries: lung, breast, and colorectal cancers.

3 reactions:

dr_clairebear said...

It's sad that the most common cancers are actually preventable before the become fatal - lung cancer through cessation of smoking, breast and cervical cancer through early detection and surveillance.

While people seem to have a broader awareness of what cancer is, we continue to see patients who come in with masses that are unresectable and cancers that are metastatic, not because they do not know what it is but because it has taken that long for them to save enough money to see a doctor. It is heartbreaking and sad because at that point there really isn't much that can be done for them. :(

MegaMom said...

There is nothing that can be done for these advanced cases medically, but in this society we are also private citizens and not just doctors. There is still much we can do for them some other way. Check out http://www.carewellcommunity.org. Founders are my friends, as I've posted about here.
How about lobbying for a better health coverage system for Filipinos?

BabyPink said...

nakaka-sad naman 'yang balitang 'yan! hay. we've lost many aunts and uncles to cancer na rin. :(