2007 World Cancer Deaths Top 7 Million

Dec. 17, 2007 -- The American Cancer Society today predicted that worldwide in 2007, more than 12 million people will be diagnosed with cancer and 7.6 million will die of cancer.

That's about 20,000 global cancer deaths per day, according to the American Cancer Society's first "Global Cancer Facts & Figures" report.

The report shows a gap in cancer survival among economically developed nations and economically developing countries.

Part of that gap is due to infection and lack of access to medical care in the developing world. Lifestyle factors also play a role.

"This cancer burden is also increasing as people in the developing countries adopt western lifestyles such as cigarette smoking, higher consumption of saturated fat and calorie-dense foods, and reduced physical activity," says American Cancer Society epidemiologist Ahmedin Jemal, MD, in a news release.

The American Cancer Society predicts that in 2050, there will be 27 million new cancer cases and 17.5 million cancer deaths "simply due to the growth and aging of the population" around the world.

Men's Top Cancers

Worldwide, the three most common cancers for men (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) are:

• Lung cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Stomach cancer

Men's leading causes of cancer deaths are:

• Lung cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Liver cancer

Women's Top Cancers

The top three cancers among women worldwide (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) are:

• Breast cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Colon cancer and rectal cancer

For women around the world, the top causes of cancer deaths are:

• Breast cancer
• Lung cancer
• Cervical cancer

Global Gap

Cancer cases and cancer deaths vary among economically developed countries and economically developing nations.

For instance, the report shows that infection-related cancers -- such as cervical cancer and stomach cancer -- are three times more common in developing nations.

Cancer screening and medical care also matter.

For example, roughly 81% of U.S. women survive for at least five years after breast cancer diagnosis, compared with about 32% of women in sub-Saharan Africa, where early detection and state-of-the-art treatments are scarcer.

The American Cancer Society based its predictions on data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer.