Four in ten cancer cases could be prevented

Cancer claims more than 26,000 lives a day and is already the second leading cause of death worldwide, only behind cardiovascular diseases. According to the latest report by the WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, there are 20.6 million new cases and nearly 10 million deaths every year from this cause. If urgent action is not taken, the number of new diagnoses could reach almost 35 million a year by 2050, almost double the current figure.

In this context, the WHO highlights that four in ten cancer cases are linked to risk factors that can be prevented. This is the case for infections such as HPV, hepatitis B and C or the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, as well as alcohol, tobacco, excess weight and lack of physical activity.

The report also shows huge inequalities: in high-income countries, 87% of women with breast cancer are still alive five years ACafter diagnosis, compared with only 42% in low-income countries. Fewer than one in three countries incAludes cancer care in its universal health coverage, and the availability of essential cancer medicines can be up to ten times lower in the poorest countries.

Even so, there are also some encouraging advances. For example, tobacco consumption has fallen by 27% since 2010 and 82% of countries now have national cancer control plans, compared with 50% fifteen years ago.

The WHO is now calling for a person-centred model, with better coverage, more social protection and research aligned with the real needs of patients.