Cancer cases shoot up by 33% in a decade: Study

There has been an increase of 33% in all types of cancer across the world between 2005 and 2015. The most common type of cancer was prostate cancer among men and breast cancer among women.

There has been an increase of 33% in all types of cancers across the world between 2005 and 2015, according to a new report by the Global Burden of Disease Cancer Collaboration. There were an estimated 17.5 million cases of cancer and 8.7 million deaths globally, according to the report.

The largest increase in the cancer rates – of 50% -- happened in the low SDI (Sustainable Development Index) countries, which includes India on 110th rank. The increase in the number of cancer cases is mainly due to ageing of the population, population growth and changes in the age specific incidence rates.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, with the odds of 1 in 3 men and 1 in 4 women developing cancer during the lifetime. India will see an estimated 1.45 million new cases of cancer in 2016 and 736,000 deaths, according to the national cancer registry.

In women, breast cancer was the most common cancer, with 2.4 million cases, and the leading cause of cancer deaths in women, the report found. The most common childhood cancers were leukemia (blood cancer), other neoplasms, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system), and brain and nervous system cancers.

“Cancer control, which requires a detailed understanding of the cancer burden as provided in the Global Burden of Disease study is of utmost importance given the rise in cancer incidence due to epidemiological and demographic transition,” the study concludes.

The estimates were based on vital registration system data, cancer registry incidence data and verbal autopsy (determining cause of death by interviewing relatives in the absence of medical records) data. Limitations of the study include that its estimates depend on the quantity and quality of the data sources available.