World Cancer Day 2011

Today (Feb. 4) is World Cancer Day.  Cancer is a leading cause of death around the world and its incidence continues to rise.  The World Health Organization estimates that 84 million people will die of cancer between 2005 and 2015 without intervention.

Evidence shows that 30-40% all cancers deaths can be prevented, and one-third can be cured through early diagnosis and treatment.

In May 2010, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), calling for a UN Summit on NCDs to be held on the 19-20 September 2011 in New York.  The Summit will address the prevention and control of cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes, which together account for 60% (35 million) of global deaths. The largest burden – 80% (28 million) – occurs in low- and middle- income countries, making NCDs a major risk to global development and economic growth.

World Cancer Day resources:

• World Health Organization
• World Cancer Day site

 

Cancer risk cut with small daily dose of aspirin

A small daily dose of aspirin – 75mg – substantially reduces death rates from a range of common cancers, a study suggests.  Research at Oxford University and other centres found that it cut overall cancer deaths by at least a fifth. (source: BBC News)

Experts say the findings show aspirin’s benefits often outweighed its associated risk of causing bleeding.  Aspirin is already known to cut the risk of heart attack and stroke among those at increased risk. However, this latest research shows that when weighing up the risks and benefits of taking aspirin, experts should also consider its protective effect against cancer.

Those patients who were given aspirin had a 25% lower risk of death from cancer during the trial period and a 10% reduction in death from any cause compared to patients who were not given the drug.

The treatment with aspirin lasted for between four and eight years, but long term-follow-up of around 12,500 patients showed the protective effect continued for 20 years in both men and women.

The risk of cancer death was reduced by 20% over 20 years. For individual cancers the reduction was about 40% for bowel cancer, 30% for lung cancer, 10% for prostate cancer and 60% for oesophageal cancer.

The reductions in pancreas, stomach and brain cancers were difficult to quantify because of smaller numbers of deaths.  There was also not enough data to show an effect on breast or ovarian cancer and the authors suggest this is because there were not enough women in the trials. Large-scale studies investigating the effects on these cancers are under way.

Canada launches one of world’s largest health studies to gain insight into disease prevention and management

The largest population-based health study ever conducted in North America was launched this past month in an effort to help better understand the causes, prevention and treatment of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, asthma, and diabetes.

The Ontario Health Study (OHS) will be the biggest community-based health study ever done in Ontario and is also part of the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project, made up of five regional health studies across the country.

Medical researchers at universities, research institutes and hospitals across Ontario are conducting this study. The governments of Ontario and Canada are funding the Study.

The Study began with an initial phase in which more than 8,000 adults living in three communities in Ontario took part. The main phase of the Study has begun, and is now open to all residents of Ontario who are at least 18 years old.

Altogether, aggregate data from hundreds of thousands of Canadians over time will help build one of the world’s largest profiles of risk factors for diseases.

Source:  World Health Advocacy.

Brazil expands access to cancer treatments

Under a massive expansion of its oncology services, Brazil’s national health care system (SUS) will offer cancer patients access to nine new treatments and expand coverage for 66 already-covered procedures, including 46 chemotherapy treatments.  (source:  PharmaTimes)

The nine treatments which are to be made available for the first time through the SUS include three for liver cancer plus five for breast cancer, leukemia and lymphoma and one new radiotherapy treatment.

Investments in the SUS oncology services, which provide treatment for around 300,000 cancer patients, will increase 25% to 412.7 million reals this year, rising to 2 billion reals in 2011. The widening of value coverage for already-provided treatments will see investments in chemotherapy services increasing from 1.25 billion reals last year to 1.5 billion in 2011, with particularly large increases in spending on treatments for conditions such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia, set to rise 765%.

Cancer is Brazil’s second-biggest killer after cardiovascular disease, and the fact that the SUS guarantees virtually all diagnosed patients have access to treatment makes it an attractive market for drugmakers. For example, last year the country’s breast cancer drug market was worth  $424 million, rivaling some major markets such as the UK and Japan and greatly exceeding the other BRIC (Russia, India and China) nations, says market research firm Decision Resources, which forecasts that breast cancer drug sales in Brazil will rise to $611 million by 2014.

The analysts forecast that the SUS oncology services will continue to give priority to the introduction of new technologies, and that the government will maintain its support for local production facilities, such as the development, in partnership with Argentina, of two reactors for the production of oncology drugs, announced in June.

Decision Resources is also forecasting good growth for Brazil’s non-small-cell lung (NSCL) cancer drug market, driven by increased uptake of higher-priced brands of chemotherapy, around 21% annual growth for targeted regimens and maintenance treatment (all in the advanced setting) and modest uptake of novel targeted agents. Drugs produced by western manufacturers will increase their share of the market from around 60% last year to 70% in 2014, when the total NSCL cancer drug market will be worth $240 million, it says.

- With annual drug sales of just over $17 billion, Brazil is the world’s 11^th-largest pharmaceutical market and is once again the biggest in Latin America. Having fallen behind Mexico in the earlier part of the decade, it has produced consistent double-digit growth in the last five years, reaching a peak of 33% in 2005 and rising 13% in 2009, reports IMS Health.

Global cancer deaths predicted to rise to 17 million by 2030: WHO report

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently warned that without urgent action, global cancer deaths would increase from 7.6 million this year to 17 million by 2030.

Each year, over 12 million people are diagnosed with cancer.  WHO warned that the worldwide cancer burden is projected to grow significantly, with the most rapid increases occurring in low- and medium-income countries.

Cancer accounts for one eighth of deaths worldwide; more than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.  According to the WHO, more than 30 percent of all cancers can be prevented through simple measures such as eliminating tobacco use, maintaining a healthy diet and exercise, limiting alcohol consumption, and protecting against cancer-causing infections.  Some cancers can be detected early, treated and cured.

Low- and middle-income countries account for 62% of new cancer cases

Low- and middle-income countries will account for 62% of the 12.9 million new cancer cases recorded this year, according to a report from the Economist Intelligence Unit.  By 2020, the number of new cancer cases globally is predicted to climb to almost 17 million (65% of which will be in low- and middle-income countries) “as the population ages and the disease cuts an ever-wider path through emerging economies”.

The EIU’s report states that only 5% of global resources to fight cancer are spent in the developing world.

The research analysis was commissioned by Livestrong, an initiative of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, with the support of the American Cancer Society.