The rapid increase in the cancer burden represents a real crisis for public health and health systems worldwide. A major issue for many countries, even among high-resource countries, will be how to find sufficient funds to treat all cancer patients effectively and provide palliative, supportive and terminal care for the large numbers of patients, and their relativeswho will be diagnosed in the coming years.
The World Cancer Report 2008 provides a comprehensive overview of cancer for all those working in the field of health-care and research, and the general reader as well. It presents information on cancer patterns, diagnosis, causes and prevention concisely, clearly outlining the growing public health crisis. Simultaneously, there is a clear message of hope: although cancer is a great and growing devastating disease, it is largely preventable.
Current priorities for global cancer control must include a focus on low- and medium-resource countries and the identification, delivery and evaluation of effective cancer control measures. Prevention research is of overwhelming importance. Translational research in its broadest sense is of paramount importance to cancer control, covering the spectrum from translating cutting-edge scientific discovery into new approaches to cancer treatment to translating knowledge of cancer risk factors into changes in population behavior.
- Copyright© 2009 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved