Thursday 5 July 2012

Oddly enough this is good news...

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...although I'm sure some won't portray it that way:

If the cancer-specific and sex-specific trends estimated in this study continue, we predict an increase in the incidence of all-cancer cases from 12·7 million new cases in 2008 to 22·2 million by 2030.

It may seem odd to portray the near doubling of new cancer cases as good news but, as the authors point out:

Our findings suggest that rapid societal and economic transition in many countries means that any reductions in infection-related cancers are offset by an increasing number of new cases that are more associated with reproductive, dietary, and hormonal factors

Rather than dying from infection and communicable disease, people will be dying from conditions - and cancers are primarily one of these - that are associated with longer lives. This makes cancer more of a problem and puts some imperative on development in treatment but it is a clear indication that trends show that people in developing countries will be living longer, healthier and happier lives. Mostly because of economic growth.

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