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Global Focus
Cancer accounted for 7.9 million deaths in 2007, about 70% in low- and middle-income countries (WHO, Fact sheet, July 2008) If current trends continue it is predicted that by 2020 there will 16,000,000 new cases per year and more than 10,000,000 will die.The reasons for growth vary from region to region however key risk factors are:
- Tobacco use
- Unhealthy diet
- Physical inactivity
- Virus infections like Hepatitis B (liver cancer) and the Human Papilloma Virus (cervical cancer)
- Ageing populations - the older you are the greater the chance of developing cancer
- The lack of resources for treatment and of primary and secondary prevention
Colorectal cancer is highly treatable if diagnosed early and yet there were nearly one million cases worldwide and over 500,000 people die from the disease each year. A major cause is a diet rich in fat, refined carbohydrates and animal protein, combined with low physical activity. Genetic susceptibility appears to be involved in less than five per cent of cases. Epidemiological studies suggest that risk can be reduced by decreasing meat consumption (particularly processed meat) and increasing the intake of vegetables and fruit. Migrant populations rapidly reach the higher level of risk of the adopted country, another sign that environmental factors play a major role.
The recently published report from the Economist Intelligence Unit sponsored by the Lance Armstrong Foundation – Livestrong on the Global Burden of Cancer indicates that by 2020, 9.7 % of new world cases of cancer will be from Colorectal Cancer making it the third highest incidence cancer after Lung and Breast. The highest increases of incidence of the disease are predicted in Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Brunei and Europe.
Global Colon Cancer urges you to react to these predictions and to TAKE ACTION NOW!
A significant difference could be made in survival rates by raising the profile of the disease, dispelling the taboos surrounding it, encouraging early detection through screening, treating the disease at an early stage and eventually the widespread use of personalised treatments based on novel molecular targets.
WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN OUR GLOBAL COLORECTAL CANCER COMMUNITY TO HELP US IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THIS KILLER DISEASE WHICH IS HIGHLY TREATABLE IF DIAGNOSED EARLY.
