The International Union against Cancer (IUCC) recently hosted a World Cancer Congress and set forth a plan to fight the growing number of cancer deaths by the year 2020. Sixty-three experts and policy makers from around the world wrote the declaration that hopes to change the face of cancer today. The plan's goal is to ensure that all people can access treatment for cancer as well as the pain medication needed to treat cancer symptoms.
The targets set forth at the summit began with focusing efforts on screening programs and early detection processes especially for individuals living in poorer countries. "We know that one-third of the cancer burden could be cured if there were early detection and proper access to medical help," Mary Robinson, who chaired the panel, told reporters.
Worldwide numbers show that last year 7.9 million people died from some form of cancer and over 25 million currently live with the disease. To decrease this number the panel discussed the need for tobacco usage to decrease and obesity rates to drop.
The specialists also added a need for "effective pain control measures" for all patients. "This is probably one of the most important targets because there is no excuse. Intravenous morphine is very, very cheap. So every country in the world can buy that," said Franco Cavalli, the IUCC's outgoing president.
In addition to the early detection methods, vaccines can also help prevent certain cancers and the panel discussed the need for all countries to utilize these prevention methods. Human papilloma virus or HPV, which causes cervical cancer and Hepatitis B, which causes liver cancer currently have effective vaccinations, however the price tag for these vaccinations may be too high for those in developing countries.
The IUCC hopes to gain worldwide participation to meet the goals set forth at the 2008 summit and plans to ask governments and the private sector for assistance.
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