WHO: Cancer will be the Top Killer in 2010
Amid rising numbers of tobacco smokers in the developing countries, like China and India which serves home to 40% of smokers in the whole world, the World Health Organization foresees cancer to overtake heart disease as the No. 1 killer.
Health experts also see development in the diagnosis of cancer and lower cases of communicable diseases that has troubled the human race ever since.
A survey expects diagnosis of cancer in 2009 to hit the scale of 12 million individuals. Deaths due to cancer are projected to be at 7 million.
By 2030 a conservative estimate forecasts cancer cases to blow up to 27 million on a yearly basis with 17 million deaths. All the projected figures also assume the growth of the world’s population.
This report was released by the International Research Agency for Research on Cancer, a body operating under the umbrella of the WHO. Other organizations like the American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute of Mexico, and the Lance Armstrong Foundation support the findings and goals of the proponents.
The different organizations want to call the attention of everyone and emphasize the global threat of cancer. They point out to cancer as one of the major problems in developing countries.
They are seeking the government to get funding for vaccination against cervical cancer and impose tighter limits through the international tobacco control agreement.
Cancer is a bigger problem in developing countries than HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria rolled into one. Potential increase of smokers in the population also means increased chances for the mushrooming of cancer all over the globe.