Abstract
Since the declaration of war against cancer in the National Cancer Act of 1971 by then U.S. President Richard Nixon, great progress has been made in several areas, but it is clear that cancer is a more complex disease than what we had anticipated. Despite the high cure rates achieved in some hematological malignancies and pediatric tumors, progress in the most common adult solid tumors has been slower and less impressive. However, there are important improvements in the understanding of the causation of cancer and the molecular mechanisms by which cancer develops and disseminates, which have allowed a better understanding of the biology and the definition of new treatment strategies. The understanding of these basic mechanisms has allowed the development of a number of more targeted anticancer agents that are exquisitely active in patients whose tumors have specific genetic abnormalities.
Highlights
Prevention and early diagnosis Overall, an estimated 12.7 million new cancer cases and 7.6 million cancer deaths occurred in 2008, with 56% of new cancer cases and 63% of the cancer deaths occurring in the less developed regions of the world, as assessed by the GLOBOCANC, which investigated the worldwide incidence and mortality from 27 cancers in 182 countries in 2008 (Ferlay et al, 2010)
The most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide are lung (1.61 million, 12.7% of the total), breast (1.38 million, 10.9%), and colorectal cancers (1.23 million, 9.7%)
The most common causes of cancer death are lung cancer (1.38 million, 18.2% of the total), stomach cancer (738,000 deaths, 9.7%), and liver cancer (696,000 deaths, 9.2%)
Summary
Prevention and early diagnosis Overall, an estimated 12.7 million new cancer cases and 7.6 million cancer deaths occurred in 2008, with 56% of new cancer cases and 63% of the cancer deaths occurring in the less developed regions of the world, as assessed by the GLOBOCANC, which investigated the worldwide incidence and mortality from 27 cancers in 182 countries in 2008 (Ferlay et al, 2010). Progress in all these major cancer killers has come from prevention, screening, and early detection, whereas the treatment of cancers in advance stage has undergone significant improvements but with a much lesser effect on overall survival.
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