According to WHO, the incidence of cancer globally has increased in just four years from 12.7m in 2008 to 14.1m new cases in 2012, when there were 8.2m deaths. Over the next 20 years, it is expected to hit 25m a year – a 70% increase.
Even the richest countries will struggle to cope with the spiraling costs of treatment and care for patients, and the lower income countries, where numbers are expected to be highest, are ill-equipped for the burden to come.
Globally, lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed among men (16.7% of cases) and the biggest killer (23.6% of deaths). Breast cancer is the most common diagnosis in women (25.2%) and caused 14.7% of deaths, which is a drop and only just exceeds lung cancer deaths in women (13.8%). Bowel, prostate and stomach cancer are the other most common diagnoses.
While more commitment to prevention and early detection is required in order to address the alarming rise in the cancer burden globally, philanthropy to support cancer research is increasingly important at a time when federal funding is being scaled back. Your support in the war against this devastating global disease is much needed.
Read the WHO fact sheet on cancer here.
For a Lampidis Cancer Foundation fundraising pack, please contact us at [email protected].