Despite advances in medical technology to cancer detection and treatment , a new study shows that the number of cancer deaths increased in 2019. The researchers found that the number of cancer cases also rose. Fortunately, you can protect yourself from cancer and reduce your risk for dying from the disease with screening.
Cancer is a devastating disease that causes major disability and is the second leading cause of death in the United States. In fact, the American Cancer Society estimates 1,918,030 new cancer cases and 609,360 cancer deaths will occur in the US in 2022. Approximately 350 will die each day from lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death.
The statistics are similar in other countries. In 2010, doctors around the world diagnosed 18.7 million new cases of cancer. That year, 8.29 million people worldwide died from the disease. According to estimates by researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine, there were 23.6 million new cancer cases and 10 million deaths globally in 2019. This means the number of cases rose by 26.3 percent in just one decade, and the number of deaths jumped by 20.9 percent during those years.
Study Shows an Increase in Cancer Deaths Worldwide
In this newest study, the group of scientists evaluated trends in cancer around the world, including morbidity and mortality rates. Morbidity is the suffering from disease, whereas mortality rates are the number of deaths within a population.
The research team also looked at cancer burden, which is the impact of cancer as measured financially, disability-adjusted life years, and years of life lost. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) measures the number of years lost due to ill health, disability or early death. They measure years of life lost (YLLs) by comparing the average life expectancy and the age at which a person dies. The researchers found that cancer was second only to cardiovascular disease when it came to the number of deaths, disability-adjusted life years, and years of life lost globally in 2019.
In this study, the five leading causes of cancer-related years of life lost in 2019 were:
- Tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer (also known as TBL cancers)
- Colon and rectum cancer (also known as colorectal cancer)
- Stomach cancer
- Breast cancer
- Liver cancer
TBL cancer was the leading cause of cancer deaths in 119 countries and territories for males; it was also the leading cause of cancer deaths in 27 countries and territories for females. Breast cancer was the number one cause of cancer-related deaths among females worldwide, including for 119 countries.
The researchers published their findings on December 30, 2021 in JAMA Oncology. The research results were included in the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 (GBD 2019). Since the study only looked at statistics from 2019, the research did not look at the effects the pandemic had on morbidity, mortality, and prevention and control efforts.
Early Cancer Detection with a Screening
Fortunately, screening can help you in cancer detection and give yourself a fighting chance. Screening tests detect cancer in its early stages, when it is most responsive to treatment.
Cancer screening saves lives. Mammography and improvements in treatment have prevented more than a half million cancer deaths between 1989 and 2018, according to a study by the American Cancer Society. Another study suggests that removing precancerous growths during colonoscopy for patients at higher than average risk for colorectal cancer can reduce the risk for colorectal cancer – and even reduce the number of deaths from colorectal cancer by one-half.
Screening tests may detect cancer better than routine tests, such as standard x-rays. Participants in still another study who received CT scan lung cancer screenings had a 15 to 20 percent lower risk of dying from lung cancer than did those who had a standard chest x-ray, for example.
Early cancer detection and treatment save lives. Cancer is a disease characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal cells. These cells can prevent body tissues and organs from functioning correctly. In the early stages of cancer, the abnormal cells are localized, which means there are a few abnormal cells in one area of tissue or organ. Treating a small area of cancer cells is much easier than treating a large area.
As cancer progresses, though, it can spread to other organs and tissue located far from the original site. Treating cancer that has spread is much more difficult and often has a worse outcome.
Early cancer diagnosis saves lives and cuts treatment costs, the United Nations health agency today said, particularly in developing countries where the majority of cancer cases are diagnosed too late.
New guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO), released ahead of World Cancer Day which is marked annually on 4 February, tries to inform the public about the different symptoms of cancer so that they can get care and to provide safe and effective treatment.
“Diagnosing cancer in late stages, and the inability to provide treatment, condemns many people to unnecessary suffering and early death,” said Dr. Etienne Krug, Director of WHO’s Department for the Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention.
“By taking the steps to implement WHO’s new guidance, healthcare planners can improve early diagnosis of cancer and ensure prompt treatment, especially for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers,” he stressed.
Each year, 8.8 million people die from cancer, mostly in low- and middle-income countries, according to WHO figures. The figure is so high that is accounts for two and a half times more people killed than those who die from HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.
It is estimated that by 2030, more than two-thirds of all cancer-related deaths will be in developing countries.
Early detection can also cut the cost of treatment. In 2010, the total annual economic cost of cancer through healthcare expenditure and loss of productivity was estimated at $1.16 trillion.
According to WHO, studies in high-income countries have shown that treatment for cancer patients who have been diagnosed early are two to four times less expensive compared to treating people diagnosed with cancer at more advanced stages.
More radiotherapy machines and training are needed
The third step to WHO’s early diagnosis is strengthening and equipping health services and training workers, according to the guidance released today.
There is an estimated shortage of 5,000 radiotherapy machines throughout the world, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said.
Among African countries, for example, 80 per cent of the estimated population of one billion is without access to radiotherapy and related cancer services.
Speaking at an event in Vienna, Austria, related to World Cancer Day, the Director-General of the IAEA, Yukiya Amano, today discussed the UN agency’s work to make radiotherapy and nuclear medicine more widely available.
“To meet the cancer needs of developing countries, we need around 10,000 additional radiation oncologists, 6,000 medical physicists, 3,000 dosimetrists and 20,000 radiation therapists,” Mr. Amano said.
Reducing early deaths from cancer and other chronic disease by one-third is stipulated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which the international community agreed to try to reach by 2030.
Given the need for greater equipment and training, Mr. Amano noted that he is considering devoting the IAEA Scientific Forum in September to exploring the benefits of nuclear medicine and radiation technology for human health.
Improving access to effective cancer treatment in developing countries has been one of his key priorities since taking lead of IAEA in 2009, Mr. Amano said. He outlined a number of successes the UN agency has had in Africa, particularly.
“In Ghana, for example, we provided diagnostic equipment for child cancers,” Mr. Amano noted. “We helped Nigeria to develop its institutions and infrastructure for fighting cancer, and provided training for dozens of oncology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy professionals.”
He noted also specialist training, including online resources, such as the Virtual University for Cancer Control which enables medical professionals in Africa to train for free, or the Human Health Campus website for professionals in nuclear medicine and related fields.
For more information on preventing cancer, consult with your doctor. Our healthcare team can help you determine your risk for developing certain types of cancer, and schedule screening tests that detect cancer in its earliest stages.
Does cancer show up in a blood test?
Aside from leukemia, most cancers cannot be detected in routine blood work, such as a CBC test. However, specific blood tests are designed to identify tumor markers, which are chemicals and proteins that may be found in the blood in higher quantities than normal when cancer is present.
Can cancer be detected easily?
Can cancer be detected easily? It's true that some cancers are diagnosed only after symptoms develop. And this may be after the disease has spread or a tumor has grown large enough to be felt or seen in imaging tests. But many types of cancers can be diagnosed early, before symptoms form.
Which cancers do not show up in blood tests?
Which cancers do not show up in blood tests? These include breast, lung, and colorectal cancer, as well as five cancers — ovarian, liver, stomach, pancreatic, and esophageal — for which there are currently no routine screening tests for people at average risk
How can you detect cancer at home?
Individuals cannot self-diagnose cancer at home, but they can perform regular self-exams to help detect problems as early as possible. Breast, testicular, and skin self-exams are easy to complete, and they enable people to recognize abnormalities.
Can CT scan detect cancer?
Can CT scan detect cancer? A CT scan (also known as a computed tomography scan, CAT scan, and spiral or helical CT) can help doctors find cancer and show things like a tumor's shape and size. CT scans are most often an outpatient procedure. The scan is painless and takes about 10 to 30 minutes.
Can ultrasounds detect cancer?
Ultrasound cannot tell whether a tumor is cancer. Its use is also limited in some parts of the body because the sound waves can't go through air (such as in the lungs) or through bone
