Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
In the past two decades, the total number of people diagnosed with cancer nearly doubled from an estimated 10 million in 2000 to 19.3 million in 2020, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and the numbers continue to rise.
Currently, one in five people worldwide will develop cancer in their lifetime and projections suggest that the number of people diagnosed with cancer will increase further in the coming years and will be nearly 50 percent higher in 2040 than in 2020.
As part of World Cancer Day, the organization also highlighted that the number of deaths due to this disease has also increased, rising from 6.2 million in 2000 to 10 million in 2020. More than one in six deaths is due to cancer.
Late Diagnosis and Lack of Access to Treatment Exacerbated by COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problems of late-stage diagnosis and lack of access to treatment, WHO noted.
This occurs worldwide, however, low- and middle-income countries are the most affected, as in addition to facing disruption of services, people living with cancer are also at increased risk of serious illness from COVID-19 and death.
A WHO survey conducted in 2020 indicated that cancer treatment had been interrupted in more than 40 percent of the countries surveyed during the pandemic.
The findings have been supported by published studies indicating that delays in diagnosis are common, while interruptions and abandonment of therapy have increased significantly, in addition to clinical trial enrollment and research output declining.
Breast cancer figures surpass lung cancer figures
And if that wasn't enough, the global cancer landscape is changing, as breast cancer has now overtaken lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world, according to statistics released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in December 2020.
Therefore, on this World Cancer Day, WHO will host the first in a series of consultations aimed at establishing a new global breast cancer initiative, to be launched at a later date.
This collaborative effort between WHO, IARC, the International Atomic Energy Agency and other sectoral partners will seek to reduce breast cancer deaths by promoting breast health, improving timely cancer detection and ensuring access to quality care.
"WHO and the cancer community are responding with renewed urgency to address breast cancer and respond to the growing global cancer burden that is putting pressure on individuals, communities and health systems," the organization said in a statement.
World Cancer Day
On February 4, as every year since 2000, World Cancer Day is commemorated, in this 2021 the theme is "I can and I will", where WHO will show its commitment to other important programs on cervical cancer and childhood cancer.
In this regard, and with the aim of accelerating the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem, three targets have been set for 2030: 90% of girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine - Human Papillomavirus; 70% of women screened; and 90% of women identified with cervical cancer receiving treatment.
Cancer is also a leading cause of death among children and adolescents, with an estimated 400,000 children diagnosed with cancer each year.
On International Childhood Cancer Day, which is commemorated every February 15, WHO will publish a practical guide for policymakers and program managers on strengthening childhood cancer programs.
Such a tool, will enable assessment to facilitate harmonized data collection and achieve rapid, real-time interpretation of data collected on cancer among children; and a clearinghouse of information from the online community of practice on childhood cancer.
It should be noted that breast, cervical and childhood cancers have a high probability of being cured if diagnosed early and treated appropriately.
