What is cancer?
Cancer is not just one disease
More than 200 different types of cancer have been identified
CANCER
Defining cancer
Cancer is an accumulation of abnormal cells that multiply through uncontrolled
cell division and spread to other parts of the body by invasion and/or distant
metastasis via the blood and lymphatic system
Normal cells
Abnormal cells
Tumour growth
Metastasis
Uncontrolled
cell division
Invasion into
surrounding tissues
Spread via blood or
lymphatic system
Incidence of cancer across the globe (2008, estimate)1
Estimated number of new cancer cases
(% of total)
Africa (6%)
Asia (48%)
Europe (25%)
Latin America and Caribbean (7%)
Northern (13%)
Oceania (1%)
1. Ferlay J, Shin HR, Bray F, Forman D, Mathers C and Parkin DM. GLOBOCAN 2008 v2.0, Cancer
Incidence and Mortality Worldwide: IARC Cancer Base No.10 [Internet]. Lyon, France: International Agency
for Research on Cancer; 2010. Available from: http://globocan.iarc.fr, accessed on 06/06/2013.
Changing prevalence of cancer
Global cancer incidence and
mortality rates continue to rise1
2030
25 M
75 M
people living
with
cancer*2
predicted to
be living
with cancer2
2008
21.3 M
GROWING AND
AGEING POPULATION
13.1 M
12.7 M
7.6 M
CASES
DEATHS
ADOPTION OF
UNHEALTHY
LIFESTYLES
IMPROVEMENT IN
DIAGNOSIS/SCREENING
2002
*Diagnosed in last 5 years
2030
1. Ferlay J, Shin HR, Bray F, Forman D, Mathers C and Parkin DM. GLOBOCAN 2008 v2.0, Cancer
Incidence and Mortality Worldwide: IARC Cancer Base No.10 [Internet]. Lyon, France: International Agency
for Research on Cancer; 2010. Available from: http://globocan.iarc.fr, accessed on 14/01/2013.
2. The International Agency for Research on Cancer. World Cancer Report 2008. Available from:
http://www.iarc.fr/en/publications/pdfs-online/wcr/, accessed on 06/06/2013.
Common cancers in men and women worldwide1
Men (%)
Women (%)
Lung (16.5)
Breast (22.9)
Prostate (13.6)
Colorectum (10.0)
8.5
16.5
3
13.6
Bladder (4.4)
4.9
7.9
10
29.7
Liver (7.9)
Oesophagus (4.9)
9.7
3
4.4
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (3.0)
Leukaemia (3.0)
Other and unspecified (27.0)
Colorectum (9.4)
Stomach (5.8)
Stomach (9.7)
27
Lung (8.5)
2.7
22.9
9.4
5.8
3.7
4.8
8.8
3.7
Liver (3.7)
Cervix uteri (8.8)
Corpus uteri (4.8)
Ovary (3.7)
Thyroid (2.7)
Other and unspecified (29.7)
1. Ferlay J, Shin HR, Bray F, Forman D, Mathers C and Parkin DM. GLOBOCAN 2008 v2.0, Cancer
Incidence and Mortality Worldwide: IARC Cancer Base No.10 [Internet]. Lyon, France: International
Agency for Research on Cancer; 2010. Available from: http://globocan.iarc.fr, accessed on 06/06/2013.
Global cancer mortality
Lung, stomach, liver,
colorectal and female
breast cancers
cause 50% of all
cancer deaths1
25
Mortality (% of all cancer types)
Approximately 7.56
million people died from
cancer in 2008,1
accounting for 13% of all
deaths (from any cause)2
Lung
20
Stomach
15
Liver
10
Colorectal
5
0
Both
sexes
Men
Women
Female
breast
1. Ferlay J, Shin HR, Bray F, Forman D, Mathers C and Parkin DM. GLOBOCAN 2008 v2.0, Cancer Incidence and
Mortality Worldwide: IARC Cancer Base No.10 [Internet]. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on
Cancer; 2010. Available from: http://globocan.iarc.fr, accessed on 06/06/2013.
2. American Cancer Society. Global Cancer Facts and Figures 2nd Edition. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2011.