Study: Cancer cases on the rise worldwide


Researchers who analyzed data on 28 different types of cancer in 188 countries from 1990 to 2013 have found that worldwide, a greater percentage of deaths are now caused by cancer.
The report, conducted by the Global Burden of Disease Cancer Collaboration group and published Thursday in JAMA Oncology, found that between 1990 and 2013, the proportion of deaths caused by cancer rose from 12 to 15 percent, and the years of life lost to cancer increased by 29 percent. In 2013, there were 15 million new cases of cancer, 8 million deaths, and 196 million years of healthy life lost. The leading cause of cancer death for the year was tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer, which killed 1.6 million people.
From birth to age 79, 1 in 3 men and 1 in 5 women developed cancer, researchers said. By taking a look at the data, they believe they can "guide intervention programs and advance research in cancer determinants and outcomes."
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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