The latest word from the World Health Organization (WHO) is that cancer is outpacing heart disease as the leading cause of death around the world.  The organization expects cancer to claim the lives of 7.6 million people this year alone, with that number tripling by 2030.  A spokesperson for the organization, Peter Boyle, suggests the growing number of cancer cases presents “amazing problems at every level in every society worldwide.”

WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) estimates 12.4 million cancer diagnoses by the end of this year, with that number expected to double by 2020 and almost triple by 2030.  From 1970 to 2000, the global cancer rate doubled.  Expectations are that 26.4 million diagnoses of cancer will come by 2030, along with 17 million deaths.

The aging population and increasing number of global smokers are two factors contributing significantly to the anticipated rise in cancer rates.  Lung cancer is the form of cancer most often diagnosed in men and women are most often diagnosed with breast cancer.  In general, men are more prone to develop cancer than women and the elderly develop cancer more often than younger people do.

The indisputable link between lung cancer and cigarettes has led to a decline in smoking in wealthier, more industrialized countries, such as the United States, where less than 20% of the 2007 adult population were smokers.  Developing countries, as well as poor and middle-income countries, however, are seeing smoking rates on the rise.  About 40% of all smokers in the world now live in China and India, according to ACS Chief Executive Officer John Seffrin.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) expects cancer deaths to outnumber deaths due to heart disease as early as 2010.  At the time, one in every eight deaths worldwide will be attributed to cancer.

On a global scale, cancer causes more death than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined, according to WHO.  Some problems facing low-income nations include limited budgets for health care, a high incidence of communicable diseases, cancer treatment facilities that are inaccessible to many, and a localized scarcity of life-saving treatment options.

In the US and Europe, however, the rate of cancer is slowing, thanks in part to improvements in diagnostic procedures, especially for breast and colorectal cancers.  The decline in smoking and improved treatment options are also considered significant factors in the reduction in cancer deaths for these areas.

According to the IARC’s Boyle, cancer, in many cases, can be prevented at every income level since development of the disease is so often influenced by lifestyle choices.  To minimize the risk of cancer, he urges everyone to refrain from smoking, limit consumption of alcoholic beverages, avoid unnecessary exposure to sunlight, get plenty of regular exercise, and maintain a healthy weight.