Experts warn of rising cancer trend in world

Cancer prevention specialists issued a stern warning here on Saturday that the world is experiencing a rising cancer trend in the next 20 years.

The global burden of cancer is estimated to approximately double between 2008 and 2030 from 12.4 million new cases per year to round 26.4 million, according to a cancer report from the Fifth International Conference of Asian and Pacific Organization for Cancer Prevention (APOCP) which opened in Istanbul.

More than 3000 specialists and decision makers from about 70 countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, Turkey and the United States attended the 5-day long conference.

The report said that a majority of this increase will occur in the more developing countries where the health services are least able to cope with the challenge. This inequality is highlighted by the markedly lower cancer survival rates in these regions.

Prof. Murat Tuncer, President of Asian and Pacific Organization for Cancer Prevention, said at the conference that the Asia- Pacific region encounter more than 60 percent of all cancer cases in the world.

Tuncer said a 4 to 6 percent increase in cancer patients per year was standard for developing countries.

Listing the reasons for the increase in cancer, he cited a growing elderly population, obesity, poor diet, but most importantly, cigarettes. Referring to the ban on smoking in public areas that took effect last July, Tuncer said "Our smoking ban is 20 years late."

APOCP Secretary General Keun-Young Yoo said that cancer is becoming a serious health threat in many Asian countries and has become the leading cause of death in Asian Pacific countries such as Japan and the Republic of Korea.

According to Yoo, the number of new cancer cases in Asia will increase to 10 million, assuming there is no change in the underlying rate or even up to 13 million, adjusting for a 1 percent annum increase in incidence until 2030.

Turkish Health Minister Recep Akdag said that Turkey's cancer rate is rapidly increasing despite an aggressive government agenda towards detection and treatment.

Turkey currently has 350,000 citizens living with cancer and every year 150,000 Turks are diagnosed with cancer. The minister expects to "quickly reach 155,000 in 2011."

Qiao Youlin, head of the 20-member Chinese delegation, told Xinhua that developing countries see an increasing cancer trend while the developing countries witness drop in cancer cases because of better medical and social services.

As to China, he said, about 1.6 million people die of cancer diseases each year, mainly from lung cancer, liver cancer and stomach cancer.

Jordanian Princess Ghida Talal voiced her concern about lack of money spending on cancer prevention in the world, saying that only 5 percent resources were used in 75 percent of cancer disease in the world.

Specialists noted that much remains to be accomplished in order to provide the evidence-base for public health decisions on cancer prevention.

Source:Xinhua