Cancer deaths to double by 2030, with developing nations seeing biggest rise, says WHO study; Rational use of medicines questioned

By 2030, around 13.3 million people will die of cancer a year, almost double the number in 2008, a World Health Organization division has revealed. The research, conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), also indicated that almost 21.4 million new cases of the disease will be diagnosed annually in 2030.

According to GLOBOCAN, an on-line resoruce of the IARC, an estimated 12.7 million new cancer cases and 7.6 million cancer deaths occurred in 2008. Christopher Wild, IARC Director, stated: "These figures represent the most accurate assessment of the global cancer burden available at present and can be used in the setting of priorities for cancer control in different regions of the world; they form a vital foundation to future responses to the UN resolution on non-communicable diseases."

Less-developed regions face a heavier cancer burden