Five updates for World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day — which will be observed today — was founded by the Union for International Cancer Control to raise awareness of cancer, and to emphasize the importance of prevention, detection and treatment.

The observation’s theme — “We can. I can.” — is intended to show how everyone, either together or as individuals, can help reduce the global cancer burden.

“This World Cancer Day, we want to inspire individuals to play an active role in the fight against cancer by being physically active,” Cary Adams, MBA, BSc, CEO of the Union for International Cancer Control, said in a press release. “Around a third of all cancers are preventable through lifestyle changes, such as increasing physical activity and leading a less sedentary lifestyle. A large number of people also find exercise to be of great benefit to their well-being, either during or after treatment.”

More than 14 million people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer each year. An estimated 8.2 million people die of malignancy, including 4 million who die between the ages of 30 and 69 years.

By 2025, the number of new cancer cases is expected to increase to 19.3 million per year and the number of cancer deaths will increase to 11.5 million, according to the Agency for Research on Cancer.

In conjunction with World Cancer Day, HemOnc Today presents five updates on collaborative efforts to reduce the global cancer burden.

Former Vice President Joe Biden released a report that outlines five strategic goals deemed crucial to the success of the national cancer moonshot initiative. The goals — formulated by members of a task force former President Barack Obama established last year — include reducing the time it takes for new therapies to become available to patients, strengthening cancer prevention efforts, and ensuring all patients with cancer have access to appropriate resources and support. Read more.
The number of cancer survivors in the United States is projected to increase from 15.5 million in 2016 to more than 26 million by 2040. By that time, nearly three-quarters of cancer survivors are expected to be older than age 65 years, and efforts are underway to ensure this growing population receives the best possible care. Read more.
A steady decline in smoking, as well as advances in early detection and treatment, have contributed to a 25% reduction in the cancer death rate in the United States since 1991, according to an American Cancer Society report. Read more.
The 69 NCI–designated cancer centers endorsed the CDC’s revised guideline that calls for administration of the HPV vaccine in two doses rather than the previously prescribed three-dose series. Their hope is that the reduced vaccination schedule will help increase national HPV vaccination rates. Read more.
Tobacco-associated cancers account for 40% of malignancies diagnosed in the United States, according to a CDC report. Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of cancer and cancer deaths in the country. Read more.