Alcohol abuse fuelling global cancer surge
4th February was World Cancer Day and the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning that the world is heading towards a global cancer disaster.
Alcohol abuse, along with obesity and smoking, is a major contributing factor to developing cancer. The WHO has predicted that the number of new cancer cases will rise by 70% – to nearly 25 million a year – over the next 20 years.
In 2008 there were 12.7 million new cancer cases globally; by 2012 this had risen to 14.1 million. It is expected that by 2032 there will be 25 million new cases of cancer every year.
Approximately 50% of cancer cases are caused by lifestyle factors and are therefore mostly preventable. As people have a greater disposable income, the prevalence of obesity and alcohol abuse continues to increase.
As the global population continues to live longer due to improvements in healthcare and medicine, cancer cases will continue to rise. Although cancer is often a natural disease of the elderly, its development speeds up when the body is subjected to an unhealthy lifestyle of alcohol abuse, overeating, smoking and lack of exercise.
Cancer is no longer a problem restricted to wealthy countries; cases are increasing across the world. Even the richest countries are struggling to cope with the rising number of cases. More and more is being invested into diagnosis and treatment every year, but it is still a struggle to cope with the increase in new cases.
The WHO says that the emphasis on treating our way out of disease must now be changed to one of disease prevention through healthy living.