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Bottom Line:
- Cancers figure among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with approximately 14 million new cases and 8.2 million cancer related deaths in 2012.
- The number of new cases is expected to rise by about 70% over the next 2 decades.
- More than 30% of cancer deaths could be prevented by modifying or avoiding key risk factors
Additional Information
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 8.2 million deaths in 2012 (1). The most common causes of cancer death are cancers of:
- lung (1.59 million deaths)
- liver (745 000 deaths)
- stomach (723 000 deaths)
- colorectal (694 000 deaths)
- breast (521 000 deaths)
- oesophageal cancer (400 000 deaths) (1).
More than 30% of cancer deaths could be prevented by modifying or avoiding key risk factors, including:
- tobacco use
- being overweight or obese
- unhealthy diet with low fruit and vegetable intake
- lack of physical activity
- alcohol use
- sexually transmitted HPV-infection
- infection by HBV
- ionizing and non-ionizing radiation
- urban air pollution
- indoor smoke from household use of solid fuels.
References
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/