PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- Each year on 4 February, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/World Health Organization (WHO) supports the Union for International Cancer Control to promote ways to ease the global burden of cancer.
Preventing cancer and raising quality of life for cancer patients are recurring themes of World Cancer Day.
The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), says that according to PAHO, cancer is the second most frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in the Americas, after cardiovascular disease, and an important basis of health inequalities.
In the Americas, there are an estimated 4.2 million people were newly diagnosed and 1.4 million people died from the disease in 2022.
Approximately 54% of new cancer cases and 45.1% of cancer deaths occurred in people 69 years of age and younger, in the prime of their lives.
Globally, there were an estimated 19.9 million new cases of cancer and almost 10 million deaths from cancer. The cancer burden will increase by approximately 60% over the next two decades, further straining health systems, people, and communities.
The predicted global burden will increase to about 30 million new cancer cases by 2045, with the greatest increases occurring in low- and middle-income countries.
In the Americas region, the number of people expected to be diagnosed with cancer will increase by 59,3%, to approximately 6.7 million people are predicted to be diagnosed with cancer by 2045, if no further action is taken to prevent and control cancer.
CPS adds that cancer can be prevented and controlled by implementing evidence-based strategies for cancer prevention, screening, early detection, treatment, and palliative care.
The most common modifiable risk factors for cancer, which are shared with many other noncommunicable diseases, are: Tobacco use; Low fruit and vegetable intake; Harmful use of alcohol; and lack of physical activity.
