UICC World Cancer Congress 2006

In many developed countries, the last century has witnessed incredible advances in the fight against cancer. Indeed, for the first time in history, age-adjusted cancer mortality rates have been on the decline for more than a decade. These declines are clear evidence that cancer can be controlled if we are willing to adopt effective cancer control strategies and commit the necessary resources to supporting them. Despite this significant growth in the knowledge base, the global cancer burden continues to grow.

In 2002, there were an estimated 11 million new cancer diagnoses and seven million cancer deaths throughout the world. By 2020, the number of new cancer cases could grow to as many as 16 million, and the number of deaths could rise to as many as 10 million. Tragically, more than 70 percent of these deaths will occur in developing nations, which are least prepared to address their growing cancer burdens.

Cancer is potentially the most preventable and the most curable of all chronic life-threatening diseases. Today, we know more about cancer than ever before. We understand many of its causes. We know how to prevent it, and we increasingly know how to cure it, especially in its early stages. Despite this significant growth in the knowledge base, we have not succeeded in stemming the growing burden of cancer. The gap between what is and what could be in global cancer control is the single most important issue facing the cancer community in the world today.

The world's cancer control community can narrow that gap by systematically reducing and eventually eliminating disparities in prevention, early detection, treatment, and care of cancers and by delivering the best possible care to all cancer patients.