Key facts about cancer
- Cancers figure among the leading causes of death worldwide, accounting for 8.2 million deaths in 2012.
- Lung, liver, stomach, colorectal and breast cancers cause the most cancer deaths each year.
- The most frequent types of cancer differ between men and women.
- About 30% of cancer deaths is due to the five leading behavioral and dietary risks: high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, physical inactivity, tobacco use, alcohol use and is therefore preventable.
- 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.
- Tobacco use is the most important risk factor for cancer causing over 20% of global cancer deaths and about 70% of global lung cancer deaths.
- Cancer arises from a change in one single cell. The change may be started by external agents and inherited genetic factors.
- 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.
- It is expected that annual cancer cases will rise from 14 million in 2012 to 22 within the next two decades.
http://www.who.int/cancer/about/facts/en/