the 5/80 cancer disequilibrium

In october 2010 an important article appeared in the prestigious British medical journal “The Lancet” on the topic of cancer in the developing countries. I am reporting some statements: “Once thought to be a problem almost exclusive to the developed world, cancer is now a leading cause of death and disability, and thus a health priority, in poor countries”… “Low-income and middle-income countries now bear a majority share of the burden of cancer, but their health systems are particularly ill prepared to meet this challenge. The rising proportion of cases in these countries is caused by population growth and ageing, combined with reduced mortality from infectious disease. In 1970, 15% of newly reported cancers were in developing countries, compared with 56% in 2008. By 2030, the proportion is expected to be 70%”... “Overall, case fatality from cancer (calculated as an approximation from the ratio of incidence to mortality in a specific year) is estimated to be 75% in countries of low income, 72% in countries of low-middle income, 64% in countries of high-middle income, and 46% in countries of high income”… “Without prevention, antitobacco campaigns, vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B virus, and focus on early detection of some tumors, growth of the cancer burden in these countries could make treatment virtually unaffordable in the long term”... “Only a small proportion of global resources for cancer are spent in countries of low and middle income: several studies have reported an estimate of 5%. By contrast, these countries together account for almost 80% of the disability-adjusted life-years lost worldwide to cancer. Cancer is an underfunded health problem and an important cause of premature death in resource- poor settings, resulting in this staggering “5/80 cancer disequilibrium”.