Right now heart disease is the current leading killer throughout the world. Health experts predict that soon, more people will die from cancer than from AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. Experts also expect that by two thousand ten, cancer will become the world's leading cause of death.
One reason more people are dying from cancer is because more people are smoking cigarettes in developing countries. Forty percent of the world's smokers are believed to live in China and India alone. Other things including high fat diets and reduced physical activity are also believed to be pushing the numbers upward. Areas in which the numbers will have the largest increases will be in China, Russia, and India.
Rates of breast cancer in Japan, Singapore and South Korea are now three times what they were forty years ago but for the first time in the U.S. breast cancer rates have gone down which is a step in the right direction.
The American Cancer Society says governments can do things to help prevent the increase in cancer cases and deaths. One idea is to provide poor and developing nations with vaccines that help to prevent some cancer-causing infections. One example of a cancer-causing infection is human papillomavirus. This virus can cause cervical cancer in women. Another suggestion is more support for tobacco-control programs. And the cancer society says health officials and governments should invest more in cancer research and early detection.
One reason more people are dying from cancer is because more people are smoking cigarettes in developing countries. Forty percent of the world's smokers are believed to live in China and India alone. Other things including high fat diets and reduced physical activity are also believed to be pushing the numbers upward. Areas in which the numbers will have the largest increases will be in China, Russia, and India.
Rates of breast cancer in Japan, Singapore and South Korea are now three times what they were forty years ago but for the first time in the U.S. breast cancer rates have gone down which is a step in the right direction.
The American Cancer Society says governments can do things to help prevent the increase in cancer cases and deaths. One idea is to provide poor and developing nations with vaccines that help to prevent some cancer-causing infections. One example of a cancer-causing infection is human papillomavirus. This virus can cause cervical cancer in women. Another suggestion is more support for tobacco-control programs. And the cancer society says health officials and governments should invest more in cancer research and early detection.
This doesnt surprise me that they say one day cancer will be the leading cause of death. I have alot of family that lives in greece and my uncle was recently telling me that about 75% of women in greece smoke cigarettes. When I go there with my family its impossible to get away from the smoke. Because the culture down there is different they allow you to smoke almost anywhere. I was really surprised at this because people are more educated about the risks from smoking. However in Greece it seems that they are not as educated about it as we are in the United States. There no billboards or health advertisments like we have that try to inform people of what smoking can do to someone. Hopefully in the future this will change but for now it is deffinatly seen as a big health issue in certain countries.
ReplyDelete