Source: Medical News TodayPublished: Catherine Paddock, PHDBy: February 4, 2014  A new report from the World Health Organization's cancer agency reveals that cancer rates are growing at an "alarming pace" around the world and urges stronger efforts on prevention measures to curb the disease. The World Cancer Report 2014, from the World Health Organization's (WHO's) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), estimates that the global burden of cancer will rise from an estimated 14 million new cases per year in 2012 to 22 million within the next 20 years. Due to growing and aging populations, developing countries are disproportionately affected by the growing numbers of cancers. Over 60% of the global burden is in Africa, Asia and Central and South America, where 70% of cancer deaths occur, and where lack of early detection and treatment is a growing problem. There is an urgent need to put in place measures to prevent the disease, says the report, adding that half of all cancers could be avoided if we use what we already know more effectively. Dr. Christopher Wild, report co-editor and director of the IARC, says: "Despite exciting advances, this Report shows that we cannot treat our way out of the cancer problem. More commitment to prevention and early detection is desperately needed in order to complement improved treatments and address the alarming rise in cancer burden globally." Leading cause of deaths worldwide, costs spiralling out of control Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide - in 2012 the [...]