In 2015, there were an estimated 17.5 million cancer cases around the globe and 8.7 million deaths, according to a new report from the Global Burden of Disease Cancer Collaboration published online by JAMA Oncology .
Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide and estimates of its burden around the globe are vital for cancer control planning.
The report by Christina Fitzmaurice, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of Washington, Seattle and coauthors estimated cancer deaths using vital registration system data, cancer registry incidence data and verbal autopsy data.
Among the report's key findings were:
Limitations of the study include that its estimates depend on the quantity and quality of the data sources available.
"Cancer control, which requires a detailed understanding of the cancer burden as provided in the GBD [Global Burden of Disease study], is of utmost importance given the rise in cancer incidence due to epidemiological and demographic transition," the study concludes.
For more details and more study findings, please visit the For The Media website.
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( JAMA Oncol . Published online December 1, 2016. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2016.5688; available pre-embargo at the For The Media website.)
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JAMA Oncology