CITATION: Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries
Bray F et al. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians
First published: 04 April 2024 https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21834
https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/caac.21834
It is predicted that the number of new cases of cancer will reach 35 million per year by 2050, compared to 20 million at present; 'investments in prevention, including the targeting of key risk factors for cancer (including smoking, overweight and obesity, and infection), could avert millions of future cancer diagnoses and save many lives worldwide, bringing huge economic as well as societal dividends to countries over the forthcoming decades'.
COMMENT (NPW): Awareness of cancer risk factors is a critical factor in promoting healthy behaviours and positive health outcomes. And yet, as we have discussed many times on HIFA, awareness of cancer risk factors is very low across the whole global population. People are profoundly unaware of the long-term consequences of their behaviour. Many will only learn about an association with cancer when it is too late - when they are diagnosed.
It is often said that knowledge may be essential but it is not enough, and this is of course true. It is quite possible to have a profound knowledge but continue to willingly expose oneself to the risk factor. I remember when I was a medical student there was a heart surgeon who smoked heavily despite intimate knowledge of how smoking affects the heart (not to mention the lungs and other organs).
From a human rights perspective, the imperative is to ensure that people have the opportunity to know and understand the risks, and make their lifestyle choices accordingly. As said in a previous message, "Every person deserves a chance to fail". It is a denial of human rights not to have this information.
Best wishes, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org
