Cancer Death Rate Depends on Geography

Despite a huge amount of funding and research, regional and individual differences in cancer trends make it a hard disease to wipe out

By Mike May

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A Global Killer
The number of people who die from cancer varies greatly around the world, often because of differences in behaviour and healthcare.

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Age-Old Problem
A dramatic change happens around the age of 20, when the main cancers being diagnosed in the United States start to shift from mainly leukaemia to predominantly digestive, prostate, lung and breast.

Money Matters
In 2013, the US National Institutes of Health spent US$2.6 billion on cancer research, and more than one-quarter of that went to breast cancer.

Points of Attack
With the exception of sub-Saharan Africa, lung cancer is one of the top three cancer killers in all regions. Breast, colorectal and prostate also feature prominently.

Deadly Discrepancy
Gaps between diagnoses and mortality are most prominent for breast and prostate cancer.

Rate Changes
Among other factors, public-health measures have influenced the number of US people being diagnosed with certain cancers.

Highs and Lows
Some cancers have much better prognoses than others. Breast and prostate cancer have benefited from improved treatments and early detection.

This article is reproduced with permission and was first published on May 28, 2014.

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