Key facts:

• 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.
• Among men, the 5 most common sites of cancer diagnosed in 2012 were

1. lung, 
2. prostate, 
3. colorectum, 
4. stomach, and 
5. liver cancer.

• Among women the 5 most common sites diagnosed were

1. breast,
2. colorectum,
3. lung,
4. cervix, and
5. stomach cancer.

• Around one third of cancer deaths are due to the 5 leading behavioural and dietary risks:

1. high body mass index,
2. low fruit and vegetable intake,
3. lack of physical activity,
4. tobacco use,
5. alcohol use.

• Tobacco use is the most important risk factor for cancer causing around 20% of global cancer deaths and around 70% of global lung cancer deaths.

• Cancer causing viral infections such as HBV/HCV and HPV are responsible for up to 20% of cancer deaths in low- and middle-income countries.

• More than 60% of world’s total new annual cases occur in Africa, Asia and Central and South America. These regions account for 70% of the world’s cancer deaths.

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.

Useful Link:

Link to factsheet on Cancer:

http://who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/