World Cancer Day: The Five Deadly Types of the Non-Communicable Disease

By Bhaskar Prasad 

February 4, 2012 12:35 AM EST

The World Cancer Day is observed on Feb 4 in honor of the global fight against the non-communicable disease (NCD), which claimed more than 7.6 million lives in 2008 and the World Health Organization says the number is expected to rise above 11 million by 2030.

The data from the World Health Organization Global Status Report on NCDs demonstrate that almost 80 percent of these deaths occur in low and middle income countries and a quarter happen before the age of 60.

The main types of cancer are:

Lung Cancer (1.4 million deaths)

It is the deadliest type of cancer for both men and women. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer. The more cigarettes you smoke per day and the earlier you started smoking, the greater your risk for lung cancer. There is no evidence that smoking low-tar cigarettes lowers the risk.

Stomach Cancer (740,000 deaths)

Several different types of cancer can affect the stomach. The most common type is called adenocarcinoma, which starts from one of the common cell types found in the lining of the stomach. The rate of most types of gastric adenocarcinoma in the U.S. has gone down over the years. Experts think the decrease may be because people are eating less salted, cured, and smoked foods.

Liver Cancer (700,000 deaths)

In most cases, the cause of liver cancer is cirrhosis, which is the end result of chronic liver damage caused by chronic liver diseases. Alcohol abuse is the most common cause of cirrhosis in the U.S.

Colorectal Cancer (610,000 deaths)

This type of the cancer starts in the large intestine (colon) or the rectum (end of the colon). Nearly all colorectal cancers begin as noncancerous (benign) polyps, which slowly develop into cancer.

Breast Cancer (460,000 deaths)

This type of cancer starts in the tissues of the breast. It can start in the tubes (ducts) that move milk from the breast to the nipple. It can also begin in the parts of the breast, called lobules that produce milk.

It is urgently needed to raise awareness and to bring the growing cancer crisis to the attention of the public, government leaders, and health policymakers.

Stand Up To Cancer and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) are launching a Facebook app that they hope will create a digital buzz that will reduce the spread of the disease. UICC notes that urgent action against cancer is vital because of its huge impact on human suffering.

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