Health E-Hint: Cancer Poised to Assume Top Spot Among Killer Diseases!

Heart disease has held the #1 spot in the long list of fatal diseases for decades. But new research shows cancer is poised to overtake heart disease as the world’s top killer by 2010!

And according to a new report issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), global cancer cases could DOUBLE by the year 2030—and could result in about 17 million deaths!

WHO said lung cancer continues to claim more lives than all other forms of the disease. Increased tobacco use in developing countries is believed to be the primary reason, especially in China and India, where 40 percent of the world’s smokers now live.

If you’re concerned about protecting yourself from this global epidemic, the WHO recommends avoiding these key cancer risk factors:

  • Tobacco use—responsible for 1.8 million cancer deaths per year.
  • Excess weight, obesity or physical inactivity—cause about 274,000 cancer deaths each year.
  • Excess use of alcohol—responsible for 351,000 cancer deaths each year.
  • Sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV) infection—responsible for 235,000 cancer deaths per year.
  • Occupational carcinogens—responsible for at least 152,000 cancer deaths each year.