Latin America threatened with cancer epidemic [View all]
Latin America threatened with cancer epidemic
26 Apr 2013
SAO PAULO (AFP)
Latin America faces a cancer epidemic unless governments act quickly to improve health care systems and treat the poor, scientists said.
The researchers pointed to around 13 deaths for every 22 cancer cases in the region, compared to around 13 deaths for every 37 cases in the United States and around 13 deaths for every 30 cases in Europe.
The main reason, according to the study published in the British journal The Lancet Oncology, is that too many people are diagnosed with cancer at a late stage when the disease is much harder to treat and more likely to kill.
"Researchers estimate that by 2030, 1.7 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in Latin America and the Caribbean, with more than one million deaths from cancer predicted to occur annually," said the report launched at the Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group (LACOG) 2013 conference in Sao Paulo.
More:
http://www.afp.com/en/news/topstories/latin-america-threatened-cancer-epidemic
= new reply since forum marked as read