Cancer (cancer)

Number of cancer patients

In Russia

2023

The detection rate of oncology in Russia doubled over the year

The detection rate of cancer and diabetes mellitus in Russia in 2023 almost doubled in comparison with 2022, which was facilitated by medical preventive examinations. Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova announced this in February 2024 during the Forum of National Achievements.

In the process of preventive examinations over the past [2023] year, we managed to identify 1.8 times more people who suffer from cancer, which means to pick up and provide medical care on time, "said the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet, which oversees the government's health care (quoted by the Interfax news agency).

The detection rate of cancer and diabetes mellitus in Russia in 2023 has almost doubled

According to her, in 2023, relative to the previous year, 1.4 times more patients with cardiovascular diseases and 1.8 times more patients with diabetes were found. These are not at all frightening figures for health care, but, on the contrary, positive, since the increase in the detection of these diseases allows you to provide the necessary medical care to more people in a timely manner, Golikova emphasized.

He also explained that the positive dynamics is largely related to the conduct of preventive examinations, which in 2023 covered about 64% of the adult population of Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin at the end of 2023 said that more than half of cancer in Russia is detected at the initial stage. At the same time, the Russian leader emphasized that the priority of interaction between the medical community, science, the state, as well as the regions was the national program for the fight against cancer, which the country's authorities began in 2019.^[1]

625 thousand people with cancer are detected annually in Russia

Every year, 625 thousand people with cancer are identified in Russia. Such data at the end of January 2024 were cited by the chief freelance oncologist of the Ministry of Health of Russia, Director General of the National Medical Research Center of Radiology of the Ministry, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrei Kaprin.

This is a good indicator, because I remember that we once identified 599 thousand, just recently. It turns out that 125 thousand more. This suggests that we detect cancer more and more often, and therefore in the early stages, because this is a demographic indicator. We are now identifying somewhere 425-427 people per 100 thousand population, - said Kaprin (quoted by TASS).

625 thousand people with cancer are detected annually in Russia

He also cited WHO data, according to which the total number of people suffering from cancer around the world is kept at 18 million people. Every day in all countries of the world, 27 thousand people die due to neoplasms. At the same time, according to the expert, by 2030 the medical community expects an increase in the incidence, but such a forecast should not be frightening, but set up for timely detection of diseases, Kaprin concluded.

In mid-February 2024, Deputy Director of the N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology for the implementation of federal projects Tigran Gevorgyan, during his speech at the XIV All-Russian Forum "Movement Against Cancer," said that about a quarter of 600 thousand annually diagnosed new cases of cancer are detected proactively, that is, in the process of professional examinations or medical examination. At the same time, the number of cases of cancer detected as part of the clinical examination differs significantly between the regions.

Not by 10-20%, so that later outsiders achieve a high indicator, but several times, several times. We ask the regions to focus on this. Naturally focusing on two key areas that are archival: screening for breast cancer and screening for colorectal cancer, - said Gevorgyan.[2]

Ministry of Health: 4 million Russians suffer from cancer

According to the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 4 million Russians suffer from cancer in the country. This figure was named by the deputy head of the department Yevgeny Kamkin on February 3, 2023. According to him, about 600 thousand new cases are detected annually.

At an online conference of the Regional Health Council under the Federation Council, Kamkin noted that tumors are successfully diagnosed "due to the strengthening of the material and technical base and the creation of conditions for timely diagnosis of diseases."

He recalled that since 2019, the federal project "Fight against Cancer" has been implemented in Russia. More than 1 trillion rubles will be allocated for the implementation of the measures of this project.

In terms of financial resources, this is the most resource-intensive project... in the system of the national project "Health," - said the Deputy Minister of Health of the Russian Federation.

Thanks to the implementation of the project over the past four years, it was possible to reduce the mortality rate of the population from neoplasms by almost 4.4%. Also, the one-year mortality rate of patients decreased by 13.5%, he said.

I can say that even a 1% decrease in this indicator is a fairly significant figure, because it depends on this... one-year mortality rate, this is exactly what a person does not die in our country within a year... Now cancer is not a sentence, early diagnosis and modern treatments allow us to completely cure a number of diseases for which it was previously believed that this is all, treatment is impossible and only palliative care, - said Kamkin, noting that five-year survival rate increased by 6.6%.

He also clarified that the speed and quality of diagnostics have increased in the country. This suggests that the proportion of diseases detected at an early stage increased by 5.1% - at the first or second stages of the disease, Kamkin noted.^[3]

2021

1123 prisoners with cancer

By the end of 2021, there were 1,123 prisoners with cancer in Russia who were registered at the dispensary in places of imprisonment, against 1,132 people a year earlier. In 2019, the number of patients with cancer in the FSIN system was 1362, in 2018 - 1355, in 2017 - 1487. This is evidenced by the data of the department, published in June 2022.

Experts interviewed by Vedomosti associate a significant decrease in the number of cancer patients among those convicted with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and a general decrease in the number of prisoners. As the newspaper notes, the list of diseases in which the convict can be released, for example, includes neoplasms that require treatment in a specialized medical organization.

According to medical expert Ksenia Barkhatova, the bureaucratic process of obtaining an opinion and the lack of proper funding in the FSIN system leads to a small proportion of people who are sent for treatment to specialized health care institutions. Another important aspect is the provision of drug therapy. According to treatment protocols, the use of chemotherapy drugs with trade names is often required clinical trials of which were carried out outside the Russian Federation. Purchases of such drugs require significant financial costs and are purchased by specialized oncological institutions. Chemotherapy requires constant monitoring, she said.^[4]

Every year, about 4,000-4,500 cases of childhood oncological diseases are registered in Russia

According to data for 2022, about 4,000-4,500 cases of childhood cancer are registered in Russia every year, which is approximately 15-17 cases per 100,000 child population (this is 1-2 out of 10,000 children). The five-year overall survival rate is about 75-80%, which means that 7-8 children out of 10 remain alive for 5 years after treatment. Persistent remission reaches 6 children out of 10.

2020: Reduction in the number of new cases of cancer to 556 thousand

In 2020, 556 thousand new cases of cancer were registered in Russia. However, at the end of 2021, Russian oncologists expect an unprecedented increase in the number of cases of primary malignancies. Moreover, in some cases with a more serious course of the disease. This is due to the difficulties of early diagnosis of diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019

3.92 million registered patients

In Russia, as well as around the world, oncological diseases, along with cardiovascular diseases, continue to lead the list of diseases with a high mortality rate. In 2019, 3,928,338 patients were registered in Russian oncological dispensaries.

640 thousand new cases were detected (+ 2.5%). Arkhangelsk and Bryansk regions are in the lead

According to the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, in 2019, 640,391 cases of malignant neoplasms were detected in Russia, which is a record figure. It is 2.5% higher than the result of 2018. The total incidence rate was 436.3 cases per 100 thousand population.

The Arkhangelsk region became the leader among Russian regions in terms of morbidity at the end of 2019. 566.2 cases per 100 thousand of the population were registered there. Next come:

• Bryansk region (556.2);
• Sakhalin Oblast (550.2);
• Mordovia (548.6);
• Penza region (548.1);
• Oryol region (546.9);
• Yaroslavl region (543.4);
• Kursk region (537.7);
• Ivanovo region (534.2);
• Sevastopol (532).

In Chukotka and in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, cancers occur less often compared to other regions - doctors recorded 205 and 215 new cases per 100 thousand people in there. In St. Petersburg , this figure was 506.5 cases per 100 thousand population,  in Moscow - 385.3.

The increase in the number of newly diagnosed oncological diseases over the past year is associated with an improvement in the quality of diagnostics and access to medicine in the country, explained to RT the chief freelance oncologist of the  Ministry of Health, Director General of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "National Medical Research Center of Radiology,"  Academician  RANAndrei Kaprin.

He noted that in the Central and Volga, North Caucasus federal districts, the incidence over five years increased by 10%.

Unfortunately, we are talking not only about the "healthy population," but also about the insufficient level of examination of the population, - said the doctor.

In the Arkhangelsk region, he associated the high number of new cases of cancer per 100 thousand people with the work of the regional cancer service and "the very specifics of the region." Kaprin noted that diagnostics are well developed in the region, assistance is provided at a high level in the profile of "radiology," "chemotherapy."^[5]

The high indicators of the Arkhangelsk region can be explained by the fact that, in addition to natural aging, there was a strong outflow of youth from the region, so the concentration of the elderly population is higher here than in other regions, "says Aleksei Belyaev, chief freelance oncologist of the North-West. - At the same time, a surge in cancers comes just after 50-60 years. Elderly people have dozens of times higher incidence than young people. Therefore, the Arkhangelsk region is among the first in terms of morbidity and mortality from cancer.

2018

The Ministry of Health named the regions with the highest prevalence of cancer and the number of dead patients

In June 2019, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation named the regions with the highest prevalence of cancer, as well as the number of people who died from this disease.

According to the ministry, in 2018, the highest incidence of cancer was in the Kursk region - 3331.1 cases per 100 thousand people. The second place was taken by Mordovia (3292.1), followed by the Krasnodar Territory (3235.2), Kaluga (3231.4) and Pskov (3110.5) regions.

The minimum number of cancer was detected in Dagestan (887 cases per 100 thousand population), Tuva (993.1), Chechnya (1044), Ingushetia (1179.3) and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) (1244.8).

The average prevalence rate of oncologists in the country in 2018 was 2562.1 cases per 100 thousand population. Over 10 years, it has increased by 40%. However, the ministry associated this not only with an increase in the incidence, but also with an improvement in the situation with the formulation of diagnoses. At the same time, the life expectancy of cancer patients has increased.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, in 2018, more than 29 thousand residents of Russia who were not registered with cancer institutions died of cancer. For every 100 patients who died from malignant neoplasms, 10.7 were not registered. Of these, the diagnosis was made posthumously in 5.2 patients per 100 patients with a first-in-life diagnosis.

In addition, the Ministry of Health speaks of an increase in the index of accumulation of a contingent of patients with malignant neoplasms compared to 2008 - from 5.7 to 6.9. The highest figure is in North Ossetia (8.4), Moscow (8), Leningrad (7.9) and Rostovskaya (7.9) regions, the lowest - in the Republic of Tuva (4.1), Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (4.7) and Magadan Region (5).

The number of patients with cancer at stage 4 increased in 2018 in 49 regions, in 52 regions there was equality compared to 2017.^[6]

3.76 million cancer patients (+ 23% by 2008 )

In 2018, 3.76 million patients with cancer were registered in Russia, i.e. 2.6% of the country's population, and since 2008 the incidence of cancer has increased by 23.7%. This was told by a freelance oncologist of the Ministry of Health, Director General of the National Medical Research Center of Radiology, Academician RANNDRAY Kaprin.

According to him, the mortality rate per 100 thousand population as of 2017 amounted to 197.9 people, and the incidence - 425.4 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants of the country.

The highest mortality rate of cancer patients in 2018 was recorded in the Siberian Federal District, where 24.2% of patients with such a diagnosis died. In the North Caucasus Federal District , annual mortality rates are also high - 22%.

The best results were shown by the Far Eastern Federal District - 28.7% of new cases were detected due to an increase in the onconference of doctors. In terms of detectability at the first and second stages, the Central Federal District is in the lead - 57.7% of cases.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Tatyana Golikova, in the first quarter of 2019, mortality from malignant neoplasms decreased by 1.6%, and about 135 thousand people received chemotherapy treatment.

The Federal Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund (FFOMS, Federal Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund) also cites its statistics: in January-March 2019, 2.4 million patients with cancer received outpatient medical care, for which 2.4 billion rubles were spent. 167.7 thousand cases (8.8 billion rubles) were treated in a day hospital, and 268.2 thousand cases (19.8 billion rubles) were treated in a hospital.

Andrei Karpin stressed that fatty foods, alcohol abuse, sedentary lifestyle and smoking increase the risk of cancer. At the same time, smoking from 30 to 50 times increases the likelihood of developing cancer. It's not just about lung cancer. Obesity is also a carcinogenic factor. ^[7]

624 thousand Russian women have genital cancer

In 2018, malignant neoplasms of the genitals were diagnosed in 624 thousand Russian women. In Moscow and the Moscow region, the share of women who have experienced oncological pathologies of the reproductive system exceeds national indicators. So, in the capital region, the number of confirmed cases is 22% higher than the national average. High-dose brachytherapy is used to treat these diseases.

2017

3.63 million patients, five-year survival rate - only 40%

According to official statistics on oncological diseases for 2017, prepared by the Moscow Research Cancer Institute. P.A. Herzen, at the end of 2017, 3,630,567 patients were registered in territorial oncological institutions of Russia (2016 − 3,518,842). The cumulative prevalence rate was 2,472,4 per population 100,000.

As of January 2019, the level of five-year survival after diagnosis in the Russian Federation is one of the lowest in Europe and is 40%. In France, for example, more than 60%, and in the United States more than 80%. The reason is that in Russia oncological diseases are diagnosed, as a rule, at the 3rd and 4th stages, and in Europe and the USA at the 1st or 2nd stage. According to various sources, in our country, the life expectancy of an oncological patient after diagnosis is 2.5-4 years, while in Europe, the United States - 15 years.

More than 500 thousand new cases of cancer are diagnosed in Russia annually

More than 500 thousand new cases of cancer are diagnosed in Russia every year, - representatives of the Medtronic company said in June 2017. In about 2/3 of these patients, the primary cancer will spread to other organs. The first place in the incidence of metastases is occupied by the lungs (see Lung cancer), in second place - the liver. The bone system ranks third, and inside the entire bone system, the spinal column is the most frequent localization of metastases^[8]

In the world

2021: World Cancer Incidence Map

1. US - 5.4%

2. Canada - 4.6%

3. New Zealand - 3.2%

4. Norway - 3.15%

5. Australia - 3%

For comparison:

Russia - 1.75%

Ukraine - 1.6%

Belarus - 1.6%

Kazakhstan - 0.8%

2020: 19.3 million new cases of cancer, 10 million people died

According to the International Agency for the Study of Cancer (IARC), in 2020, 19.3 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed in the world. Of these, 10 million people died.

2019

Cancer is increasingly detected in young people in the United States

Cancer ceases to be a disease of the elderly in the United States - cancer is increasingly detected in young Americans. This is stated in the study, the results of which were published in early January 2024.

According to the published data, over 20 years, the number of cases of detection of malignancies in persons under 50 years of age in the United States increased by 12.8%. If in 2000 95.6 such cases were detected per 100 thousand of the population, then in 2019 the figure increased to 107.8 diagnoses. Moreover, data published in the journal BMJ Oncology in 2023 suggest a sharp global increase in cancer rates in people under the age of 50. Moreover, the highest rates are observed in North America Australia and Western. To Europe

Experts are trying to establish the reasons for this trend and identify young people at high risk. It is suggested that the observed picture may be associated with changes in lifestyle: this is less physical activity, more ultra-processed products, new toxins, etc.

Cancer patients are getting younger. This is probably something to do with environmental changes, our food preferences, drugs or something else that we have not yet identified, "says Dr. Andrea Cercek, program manager for patients with early onset gastrointestinal cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

The U.S. cancer death rate has dropped by a third since 1991, thanks to a reduction in smoking and improved treatment effectiveness. In addition, screening for early detection of malignancies, including breast cancer, contributes to a decrease in the number of deaths.^[9]

Incidence of cancer at a young age increased in the world over 30 years by 79%

In the period from 1990 to 2019, the incidence of cancer among people under the age of 50 increased globally by 79.1%. Factors such as obesity and alcohol consumption contribute to the deterioration of the situation, as stated in the study, the results of which were published on September 5, 2023.

As part of the work, specialists from Harvard University, the University of Edinburgh, the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Imperial College in London and Zhejiang University in China assessed the incidence and mortality of 29 types of malignancies in 204 countries and regions around the world. In 2019, the number of new cancer diagnoses among people under 50 was 3.26 million against 1.82 million in 1990. At the same time, the number of deaths associated with cancer in the considered age group increased by 27.7%.

Breast cancer accounts for the largest number of cases and related deaths: 13.7 and 3.5 for every 100,000 inhabitants of the planet, respectively. In addition to malignant breast tumors, cases of disease and death due to cancer of the trachea, lungs, stomach and intestines are most often reported.

The highest incidence rates of cancer with onset under the age of 50 in 2019 were recorded in North America, Oceania and Western Europe. In low- and middle-income countries, early-onset cancer had a much greater impact on women than men - in terms of both mortality and worsening health.

Data from the study suggest that the main risk factors contributing to the most common early-onset cancers are diets high in red meat and low in fruit and milk, alcohol consumption and tobacco smoking.^[10]

2008: 12.7 million new cancer cases

In total, in 2008, there were about 12.7 million new cases of cancer in the world.

According to a 2008 IARC study in countries whose human development index (HDI) exceeds the average level, 62 percent of all cancer cases were tumors:

• lungs,
• liver,
• breast,
• prostate (prostate),
• esophagus,
• stomach and
• colon.

IARC specialists, part of the World Health Organization (WHO), recorded that the increase in socio-economic indicators in many countries is accompanied by a decrease in the incidence of infectious cancer and a simultaneous increase in the proportion of tumors whose development is associated with hormonal disorders and poor diet^[11].

Residents of states with low HDI rates were more likely to suffer from malignant neoplasms of the cervix, as well as the liver and breast.

In men, cancer tumors of the prostate, lungs and liver were most often detected. Breast and cervical cancer was found to be the most common among women.

According to statistics (April 2018), bladder cancer is among the top ten most common types of cancer; it affects more than 2.7 million people worldwide. More than 430 thousand new cases of the disease and more than 165 thousand deaths are registered annually. At the same time, 16 thousand new diagnoses of bladder cancer per year are made in Russia, on average 6 thousand patients die.

Prognosis of morbidity

IARC predicts 28.4 million new cases in 2040

According to IARC forecasts, in 2040, about 28.4 million newly diagnosed cancers may be registered in the world, which is 47% more than was recorded in 2020.

IARC predicts 22.2 million new cases by 2030

The number of annually reported cases of cancer worldwide will exceed 22.2 million by 2030. Such data were obtained from a study conducted by specialists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The results of the work are published in the journal The Lancet Oncology (May 2012).

Employees of IARC, part of the World Health Organization (WHO) framework, examined data on the prevalence of cancer in 2008. They also estimated the dynamics of cancer incidence between 1988 and 2002 and, based on these data, made a forecast for 2030.

Public people with cancer

• Former head of AccenturePierre Nanterme. He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016.
• AppleSteve Jobs co-founder. In 2003, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Jobs was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic tumor known as islet cell neuroendocrine tumor.
• Oleg Tinkov. He was diagnosed with blood cancer in October 2019.

Public persons who died of cancer

• Arne M. Sorenson

Types of cancer

Malignant diseases of the reproductive system

Main article: Malignant diseases of the reproductive system

• Breast cancer (BC)
• Cervical cancer
• Uterine body cancer (endometrial cancer)
• Ovarian cancer
• Prostate (prostate) cancer
• Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL)

On July 24, 2019, Allergan announced that it was withdrawing Biocell textured breast implants and tissue expanders from the market. The reason for the recall was concerns about a rare form of cancer known as breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). Read more here.

Malignant blood diseases

Main article: Malignant blood diseases

Malignant blood diseases differ from other oncological diseases in that the oncohematological disease does not form a tumor in the body, and malignant cells spread throughout the body. Therefore, for patients with this disease, there is no option for surgical treatment.

• Leukemia (leukemia, blood cancer)

Head and neck tumours

Main article: Head and neck tumours

The most common types of head and neck tumors are:

• Thyroid cancer
• cancer of the lip and oral mucosa,
• nasopharyngeal cancer,
• cancer of other pharyngeal regions.

Other cancers

• Brain cancer
• Lung cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Bowel cancer (colorectal cancer)
• Liver cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Skin Cancer, Melanoma
• Oesophageal cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Lymphoma is a malignant tumor from cells of the immune system that affects the lymphatic system.

• Neuroblastoma is a rare form of cancer that affects children first. In 2021, risk-adapted treatment programs are based on the allocation of 3 risk groups; 40-50% of patients are stratified into a high-risk group. Among this group, the probability of long-term survival is less than 50%, even despite the use of multicomponent aggressive therapy involving chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. At the time of diagnosis, patients tend to have already developed a metastatic process, and this may increase the likelihood of an adverse outcome.

• Bone cancer

Cancer vaccines

2024: Russia close to creating cancer vaccines - Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in February 2024 that Russia is close to creating vaccines against cancer, which may soon become available to patients - Reuters.

Cancer diagnosis

Main article: Cancer diagnosis

Causes of cancer

2023

Sensational mechanism of occurrence of half of all cancer cases in the world revealed

On November 28, 2023, Australian specialists from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research (WEHI) announced an important discovery that sheds light on the mechanism of occurrence of half of all cancer cases in the world. We are talking about a mutation of the p53 protein, which serves as a suppressor of the formation of malignant tumors.

Participants in the work note that in a normal state, p53 plays a decisive role in preventing the formation of cancer cells. The protein serves as a powerful defense mechanism, responsible for repairing or removing cells with impaired DNA. However, due to various environmental factors, p53 can mutate, losing its protective properties. Moreover, in some cases, the action of the protein is enhanced, but at the same time it begins to perform directly opposite functions, helping cancer cells survive and multiply.

Australian scientists, who conducted research together with Italian colleagues from the University of Trento, found out what characteristics help mutant p53 stimulate the development of malignant formations. Experts analyzed 157 different types of mutations of the protein, and then restored its normal functions. It turned out that this process allows you to suppress the growth of cancer cells.

As part of the study, we obtained the first evidence that in fact it is the loss of functions [p53] that affects the growth of malignant tumors. We found no evidence that increased function contributes to cancer, "says Gemma Kelly, one of the authors of the work.

Experts emphasize that the results obtained change the understanding of the mechanism of the p53 mutation. And this opens the way to the development of more effective means for the treatment of malignant tumors.^[12]

How the Y chromosome affects cancer aggressiveness in men

On June 21, 2023, researchers from the George Institute for Global Health Sydney published an article on the contribution of the Y chromosome to the development of colorectal cancer and bladder cancer. More. here

New cause of cancer detected

In early June 2023, Australian scientists at Flinders University found a link between the risk of developing oncology and exposure to a recently discovered family of genetic fragments in human cells.

According to scientists, the first step in tumorigenesis is to acquire a repertoire of genetic mutations to initiate and maintain a malignant tumor. An important example of such an initiation step in acute leukemia is the formation of a potent oncogene from chromosomal translocations between the mixed-series leukemia (MLL) gene and one of the 100 translocation partners known as MLL recombin.

As scientists have established, specific ring ribonucleic acids can attach DNA to cells and cause mutations. As a result, they can provoke cancer. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a family of covalently closed, alternatively spliced RNA molecules, are enriched in the MLL recombinoma. In the next step, they can bind DNA to form circRNA: DNA (circR loops) hybrids at their cognitive loci. These circR loops promote transcriptional suspension, proteasome inhibition, chromatin reorganization, and DNA destruction. Importantly, overexpression of circRNAs in mouse models of leukemia xenotransplantation leads to colocalization of genomic loci, formation of "de novo" clinically relevant chromosomal translocations mimicking MLL recombin, and acceleration of disease onset. The findings from Flinders University researchers provide a fundamental insight into the acquisition of chromosomal translocations by endogenous RNA carcinogens in leukemia.

Study lead author Simon Conn reported that this is the first example that a genetic molecule that occurs in many people's bodies is capable of causing a mutation in DNA and provoking cancer from within. Conn added that the discovery provides an opportunity to use knowledge about these molecules to treat cancer at a very early stage, when the likelihood of healing from it is much higher.^[13]

2022: Chronic stress increases cancer death risk by 2.4 times

In early December 2022, wear and tear as a result of chronic and lifelong stress may also increase the likelihood of dying from cancer, according to researchers at the Medical College of Georgia at the University of Augusta.

This wear and tear, called allostatic load, refers to the cumulative effects of stress over time. According to the researchers, if you have chronic, persistent psychosocial stressors that never allow you to calm down, then this can lead to wear and tear of the body at a biological level.

The researchers analyzed more than 41 thousand participants in the National Study of Health and Nutrition, which was conducted from 1988 to 2019. Body mass index, diastolic and systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, hemoglobin A1C (higher levels indicate risk of diabetes), albumin and creatinine (both characterizing renal function), and C-reactive protein (an indicator of inflammation) are baseline biological measures that the researchers used to calculate allostatic burden. High allostatic load was defined as an indicator exceeding 3 points.

The national mortality index, which is maintained by the National Center for Health Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was then compared with participants' data to determine who died of cancer and when. The researchers found that even without adjusting for potential factors such as age, social demographic characteristics such as race and gender, poverty-income ratio, educational attainment, people with high allostatic burden were 2.4 times more likely to die from cancer than people with low allostatic burden.

Even with age, scientists found that people with a high allostatic load had a 28% increased risk of dying from cancer. Adjusted for sociodemographic factors including gender, race, and educational attainment, a high allostatic burden resulted in a 21% increase. Further adjustment of the model to account for other risk factors such as smoking, previous heart attack, diagnosis of cancer or congestive heart failure resulted in a 14% increase.

The scientists investigated the association between allostatic burden and cancer mortality specifically among each racial/ethnic group (e.g., non-Hispanic blacks, non-Hispanic whites, and Hispanic adults). However, the allostatic burden did not have such a strong association when broken down into racial categories. These results can be explained by the huge size of the original sample.^[14]

2021: Cancer-causing substance found in sanitizers of 15 manufacturers

At the end of March 2021, it became known that some widely available hand disinfectants contain high levels of a chemical known to cause cancer. The problem was identified in the products of 15 manufacturers. Read more here.

2020: WHO: In 741 thousand cases of cancer, alcohol became the cause

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 741,300 cases of cancer in 2020, alcohol was the cause. Such statistics were published in July 2021.

Most often, alcohol led to cancer of the esophagus (190 thousand cases), liver (155 thousand cases), breast (98 thousand cases). They were followed by bowel, oral and throat cancers.

Most alcohol-induced cancers are associated with severe alcoholism. However, even moderate or low levels of alcohol consumption are not safe. For example, up to 10g of alcohol a day - and that amount corresponds to a small glass of wine - has led to 35 400 - 145 800 cases of cancer. Moderate alcohol consumption (less than 20 grams on average per day) gave 13.9% of all cases of "drunk" cancer. According to the WHO, alcohol in 2020 led to 568,700 cases of cancer in men and 172,600 in women.

This is not just another horror story related to cancer that can be ignored, "says Nino Berdzuli, director of the Country Programs Division at the WHO European Office. - We have very convincing facts that suggest that alcohol consumption even in small doses can cause the development of cancer. The use of all types of alcoholic beverages is associated with cancer, while the main carcinogenic substance contained in them is ethanol. The public should be aware of this.

Given that cancer has been developing for several years, scientists decided to use information on alcohol use across different countries in 2010. To do this, they looked at both survey data and information on alcohol sales. Cancer incidence data were taken from the GLOBOCAN 2020 database: the analysis used cancers whose association with alcohol use is known.^[15]

How the disease develops

2021: Cancer cells can hibernate while waiting for chemotherapy

In mid-January 2021, researchers reported that cancer cells could hibernate while waiting for chemotherapy. Using an ancient evolutionary survival mechanism, tumor cells slow life and almost stop dividing to survive the harsh conditions created by chemotherapeutic or other anti-cancer agents.

Dr. Catherine O'Brien of Princess Margaret Cancer Center and her team found that absolutely all cancer cells - not just part of them - could potentially hibernate until the threatening situation is addressed. The researchers also found that new therapeutic strategies specifically targeting cancer cells in a state of "hibernation" could prevent cancer recurrence.

The tumor acts as an entire organism capable of transitioning to a state of slow division, thereby conserving energy for survival, Dr O'Brien explained.

In the study, the scientists used human rectal cancer cells, acting on them with chemotherapeutic agents in the laboratory. The threat moved all cancer cells into the slow division phase, a condition in which the cells stopped growing and used minimal food to survive. While the chemotherapeutic agent was in the petri dish, the cancer cells remained in a state of "hibernation."

To move into this low-energy state, the cancer cells used an embryonic survival program used by more than 100 mammalian species to preserve embryos inside their bodies during extreme environmental conditions. At the same time, cell division slows down, metabolism decreases significantly and the development of the embryo is suspended. When environmental conditions improve, the embryo can continue normal development without any adverse effects.^[16]

Metastases

As it develops, cancer elements from the original focus begin to migrate around the body, moving with blood or lymphoma. After settling in tissues and bones, they develop secondary lesions called metastases.

Cancer treatment

Main article: Cancer treatment

• Free OMS cancer treatment
• Lung cancer treatment
• Ovarian cancer treatment
• Brachytherapy

• Drugs to treat cancer

Mortality rates

2023

In Russia, recorded the lowest mortality from cancer in 20 years

The one-year mortality rate of patients with oncology in Russia in 2023 was 18% against 21.7% in 2019. Ivan Stilidi, chief freelance oncologist of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, director of the N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center, spoke about this at the end of February 2024.

A set of measures both for diseases of the circulatory system and in the oncological sphere also led to a decrease in mortality from malignant neoplasms. Over the past two years, this is the lowest figure in 20 previous years, mortality at the lowest level in 20 years, he said (quoted by Interfax).

The one-year mortality rate of patients with oncology in Russia in 2023 was 18%

According to Stilidi, the five-year survival rate of patients who are being treated for cancer is also growing in Russia. The coverage of medical services of oncological patients was estimated by the chief freelance oncologist of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation at 76% at the end of 2023, which exceeds the 2021 figure (63.5%).

Ivan Stilidi believes that the federal project "Fight against Cancer" helped Russia "make a jump in development." In particular, the improvement in cancer control indicators was facilitated by the consolidation of the patient route, telemedicine consultations, improvement of the regulatory framework, and the provision of cancer care in specialized institutions.

In addition, at the expense of the federal budget, 11 oncological dispensaries were built and equipped with modern equipment, national medical centers were re-equipped, the system of outpatient oncological care centers was introduced (their number by February 2024 increased to 534).

According to Ivan Stilidi, thanks to the fact that cancer dispensaries are equipped with modern radiation facilities, it was possible to increase the number of patients who receive radiotherapy by 30%. The practice of oncologists includes radionuclide diagnosis and therapy of tumors, he added.^[17]

Ministry of Health - Cancer mortality in Russia has decreased by 6% in 6 years

In mid-September 2023, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation reported a decrease in cancer mortality in the country by almost 6% compared to 5 years ago.

We managed to reduce by 14% the one-year mortality rate of patients with malignant neoplasms, by 5.6% - the mortality rate of the population from malignant neoplasms compared to 2018, - the Minister of Health of the Russian Federation Murashko reported to the participants of the VI International Forum of Oncology and Radiotherapy "For Life."

This, according to the minister, also happened due to the fact that the use of anti-tumor drug therapy, including targeted drugs, has increased in Russia at the expense of compulsory medical insurance. According to him, the growth in five years was 63.6%.

Mikhail Murashko also stressed that the country is growing the share of oncological diseases detected in the early stages - it is already approaching 60%.

The mortality rate from neoplasms in Russia for four years decreased by 4.6%, the Deputy Prime Minister said on June 14, 2023 of the Russian Federation Tatyana Golikova during an inspection of the new complex of the Moscow Clinical Scientific Center named after A.S. Loginov.

She noted that over the past year, the number of examined cancer patients increased by 18.1%. In addition, she said that in Russia over four years, the indicator of cancer detection at the first and second stages has increased.

In Russia: [by] 5.1% better [detectability]<...> in Moscow, these indicators are multiple better, - added the Deputy Prime Minister.

In April 2023, Mikhail Murashko, at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that in Russia, mortality from cancer decreased by 4.5% in two years. Murashko also noted that in Russia, cancer patients have access to all types of treatment, including photon, proton and chemotherapy.^[18]

2022: Survival rate of US cancer patients tripled in 50 years

According to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the survival rate of cancer patients in the United States for 50 years has tripled: if in 1971 there were 3 million people recovered from cancer in the country, then by the beginning of 2022 - already 18 million people. The statistics were published in September 2022.

According to data to AARC, levels cancer deaths in the United States are steadily declining and more people than ever before are living longer and fuller lives after a cancer diagnosis. Since 2019, the number of cancer survivors in the United States has increased by more than 1 million. Declining rates smoking and significant improvements in early cancer detection are among the main reasons for these positive changes, according to the AACR.

The report provides the latest statistics on cancer incidence, mortality and survival, and discusses the latest research in the fields of etiology, biology, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer, including the use of early detection systems based on AI and liquid biopsy, which are moving rapidly into the clinic.

The report also cited President Joe Biden's increased funding for cancer research under the administration's revived Cancer Moonshot initiative as key to even higher survival rates. In September 2022, Biden said that his goal is to reduce cancer deaths in the United States by at least half until 2037.

Although almost 3.5 million deaths from cancer were avoided between 1991 and 2019, more than 600 thousand people are expected to die from cancer in the United States in 2022, the report said. In the United States alone, the number of new cancers diagnosed each year will reach nearly 2.3 million by 2040, the AACR report predicts.

And many people, the report said, would die simply because they had no access to the latest treatments, trials or tests. Researchers note that there are two health systems in the US: one for people who can afford preventive services and quality treatment, and the other for everyone else^[19]

2021

Reduction in 8.6% of 1-year mortality in patients with malignancies

For three years - from 2019 to 2021. - the mortality rate of Russians due to cancer decreased by 4.5%, and the one-year mortality rate in patients with malignant neoplasms fell by 8.6%, said the head of the Ministry of Health Mikhail Murashko at the end of July 2022 at a meeting of President Vladimir Putin with members of the government via videoconference.

According to the head of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, over 3 years, the five-year survival rate in patients with cancer decreased by 5.5%.

In 2021, the Ministry of Health, together with the expert community "taking into account world experience," updated the "Procedure for medical examination and preventive medical examinations." It is argued that we are talking about malignant neoplasms of the most common localizations in Russia. Thanks to this, the share of malignant neoplasms detected at the first or second stages increased by 2.7%: from 56.4% in 2018 to 57.9% in 2021, the department said.

Unfortunately, despite all the efforts of the state, today the lack of concern among primary care doctors is insufficient for early and quick diagnosis of cancer, "Konstantin Tikhomirov, program director of the Tinkov Family Foundation, told Kommersant.

Hematologist, medical expert of the Foundation Andrei Abrosimov adds that, as a study on a similar topic shows more earlier, the optimal time for diagnosis is two to three weeks, with acute forms of the disease, for example, leukemia, "time is often counted for days and even hours." Yan Vlasov, co-chairman of the All-Russian Union of Patients, emphasizes that the issue of detection of oncology in the early stages in Russia has always been "very acute."

The Ministry of Health stressed that the increase in anti-anxiety among medical workers is a priority area of ​ ​ work within the framework of the approved regional programs "Fight against cancer."^[20]

Mortality among cancer patients in Russia decreased by 5%

The mortality rate of patients with cancer in Russia in 2021 decreased by almost 5% compared to 2020. Such data on March 21, 2022 was cited by the Minister of Health of the Russian Federation Mikhail Murashko without specifying absolute indicators.

We managed to keep the mortality rates of the population in numbers below previous periods... It is the proactive detection of this category of diseases that is a priority for both the population and medical workers, "he said at a meeting with public receptions of United Russia.

According to Murashko, in the conditions of day and round-the-clock hospitals, the number of cancer patients in 2021 increased by 12%, the number of cases of treatment with the use of antitumor therapy increased by 12%. The availability of radiation therapy increased by almost 15% during 2021^[21]

The general director of the Medskan group of companies (specializing in laboratory diagnostics), member of the board of the Association of Oncologists of Russia Andrei Modestov, in a conversation with Kommersant, draws attention to the continuing reduction in the number of patient visits.

According to him, the number of requests for primary diagnostics in 2021 decreased by 10-15% compared to 2020. At the same time, the expert is confident that "objectively" all the conditions for the systemic fight against cancer already exist.

But people are simply afraid to visit clinics even for an ordinary medical examination so as not to become infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus there. But if a person has a malignant neoplasm of non-external localization, then the disease is initially asymptomatic. And the fact that he was not diagnosed on time turns out only when he is brought to the hospital by an ambulance in serious condition, for example, with an obstruction of the intestines, he notes.

2020

Mortality from oncology in Russia decreased despite the pandemic

At the end of 2020, 556 thousand new cases of cancer were registered in Russia, including 256 thousand among men and 300 thousand among women. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova cited such data on October 27, 2021.

According to her, mortality from cancer in Russia in 2020 decreased by 1%, despite the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, due to which the volume of medical care not related to this infection was significantly reduced.

At the same time, a decrease in mortality from neoplasms in 2020 occurred in 81 regions of Russia, in Karachay-Cherkessia, the Jewish Autonomous Region, the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, the Chelyabinsk Region and the Altai Republic, it was the most significant, Golikova noted.

The average Russian indicator of cancer incidence in 2020 amounted to almost 379 cases per 100 thousand population, in 29 subjects it turned out to be lower than the average. The minimal oncological incidence was demonstrated by the republics of Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, Tuva, Sakha - Yakutia, Altai, Kalmykia, as well as the Yamalo-Nenets, Chukotka and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrugs.

The highest level in 2020 was detected in 10 regions: Sevastopol, Sakhalin, Samara, Oryol, Arkhangelsk, Yaroslavl, Kirov, Bryansk, Nizhny Novgorod, Kurgan regions, the Deputy Prime Minister said.

She also cited statistics on morbidity among children. In 2020, oncological diseases were detected in 3751 children, among them malignant neoplasms of lymphatic and hematopoietic tissue prevailed - acute leukemia, malignant neoplasms of the brain. Almost 29 thousand children from 0 to 17 years old were under observation.

In total, by the end of 2020, almost 4 million people, or 2.7% of the population, were under surveillance in Russia, 0.7% of them were children under 18 years old. Only 21% of those observed are rural residents.^[22]

The number of deaths from respiratory cancer in the Russian Federation over 10 years decreased by 15%

The number of deaths from respiratory cancer in Russia over 10 years has decreased by 15%. This is stated in an article by the scientific journal Lancet Respiratory Medicine, published in August 2021.

The global mortality rate from lung cancer and other tumors in the respiratory system from 2010 to 2020. decreased by 5.7%. The incidence of all forms of malignant tumors affecting the lungs, trachea and other respiratory organs has decreased globally by 4.6%. The last indicator in developed countries decreased even more significantly, which was especially typical for men (-7.4%).

The study, which was conducted as part of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) project, also states that the rate of death of patients from different forms of respiratory tract tumors among men has decreased by 8.7% over 10 years. In developed countries of the world, this figure decreased by 8.9%, while in low-income countries it increased by 3.7%.

Russia turned out to be one of the main leaders in this decline - the incidence of lung cancer and other neoplasms decreased by 13.9%. Among the male half of the population of the Russian Federation, the figure decreased by 19.7%.

In addition, the researchers analyzed whether the causes of malignant tumors in the respiratory organs had changed. These observations showed that smoking and air pollution continue to be the two main drivers in the development of lung cancer despite all efforts to combat both. According to the researchers, the increase in the incidence of respiratory cancer in developing countries is directly associated with both an increase in the number of smokers and a noticeable deterioration in air quality in these states. This must be taken into account when implementing policies aimed at combating both cancer and bad habits, the authors of the article summed up.^[23]

The cancers that kill the most

In early April 2021, the American Society of Oncology published the results of the GLOBOCAN 2020 analysis prepared by the International Agency for the Study of Cancer. This article provided an update on morbidity and mortality from malignancies worldwide.

An estimated 19.3 million new cancers (18.1 million excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) and nearly 10.0 million cancer deaths (9.9 million excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) were reported worldwide in 2020.

Breast cancer bypassed lung cancer and became the most frequently detected malignancy in the world: 2.3 million new cases (11.7%). It is followed by lung cancer (11.4%), colorectal cancer (10.0%), prostate cancer (7.3%) and stomach cancer (5.6%).

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death, accounting for 1.8 million deaths (18%). It is followed by rectal cancer (9.4%), liver cancer (8.3%), stomach cancer (7.7%) and breast cancer (6.9%). Overall morbidity was 2-3 times higher in advanced economies compared to countries with economies in transition, whereas mortality varied among men and hardly differed among women. However, deaths from breast and cervical cancer in women were significantly higher in countries in transition compared to advanced economies (15.0/12.8 cases per 100,000 people and 12.4/5.2 cases per 100,000 people).

Cancer detection is expected to be 28.4 million cases in 2040, a 47% increase from 2020, with the largest increase in transition economies (64% to 95%) compared to advanced economies (32% to 56%) due to demographic changes^[24]

Reduction in mortality from cancer in Russia by 1.5%

Mortality from cancer in Russia at the end of 2020 decreased by more than 1.5% compared to 2019. This indicator was named by the Minister of Health of the Russian Federation Mikhail Murashko on April 7, 2021 at the opening of the extraordinary XII Congress of Oncologists and Radiologists of the CIS Countries and Eurasia named after Trapeznikov N. N.

For such a severe pathology, these are good and important results, - said the head of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.

According to him, it is important that, despite the pandemic, not a single bed intended for patients with cancer has been redesigned.

Earlier, Murashko said that timely assistance was provided to all cancer patients in full, despite the increased burden on the health care system amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

At the same congress of oncologists and radiologists, the chief freelance oncologist Ministry of Health of the Russian federation Andrey Kaprin cited updated data on mortality from neoplasms - in 2020, 289.9 thousand people died due to such diseases, which is 1.9% less than in 2019. He referred to the statistics of the Unified State Registry Office.

Most of all, the share of deaths from cancer at the end of 2020 decreased in Ivanovo (by 13.3%), Orlovskaya (by 12.4%) and Kostroma (by 9.1%) regions. In Moscow, the figure decreased by 3.5% - to 26.1 thousand deaths. The increase in mortality was shown by Tula (+ 9.8%), Bryansk (+ 4.8%) and Voronezh (+ 1.1%) regions.

The share of malignancies detected at an early stage in 2020 amounted to 56.1%, which is 2.3% lower than the previous year's indicator and 56.4% lower than the planned value of the federal project "Combating Cancer." The proportion of patients with cancer registered for 5 years or more increased by 2.2% and amounted to 56.5% (plan - 55.6%).^[25]

2019

Child deaths from leukemia rise in Brazil - due to pesticides in soybean production

At the end of October 2023, American researchers reported that Brazil is experiencing an increase in infant mortality from leukemia. This is due to the fact that the country has significantly increased the production of soybeans associated with the use of pesticides and herbicides.

The work was attended by specialists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Denver and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. The study covered the period from 2008 to 2019 in the biomes of serradu (an extensive ecoregion of tropical savanna in Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay) and the Amazon. The researchers concluded that infant mortality from acute lymphoblastic leukemia correlates with pesticide exposure.

The report said that soybean production in the serradu region tripled from 2000 to 2019, while in the Amazon region the figure increased 20 times. This led to a sharp increase in the use of pesticides - 3-10 times. Experts report that an increase in soybean production by 10% leads to an increase in child mortality by 0.4 cases in the age group up to 5 years per 10,000 population. For children under the age of 10, the indicator increases by 0.21 deaths. In general, from 2008 to 2019, 226 deaths of children under 10 years old from acute lymphoblastic leukemia were registered in Brazil. At the same time, 123 children died precisely because of the impact of pesticides.

It is noted that the study affected primarily territories that are classified as "rural" and have at least 25% of land occupied in agriculture. Scientists believe that pesticide exposure to children occurs mainly through contamination of water sources.

Our concern is that our results are just the tip of the iceberg. Exposure to pesticides can also lead to non-fatal cases of leukemia, and there is a risk of influence on the adolescent and adult populations, the authors of the work emphasize.[26]

30% of US cancer deaths linked to smoking

30% of cancer deaths in the U.S. are related to smoking. This was reported in August 2022 by the American Cancer Society, the data were published in the International Journal of Cancer. Read more here.

294 thousand cancer patients died in Russia

Global cancer deaths rise 21% in 9 years

On December 30, 2021, researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle analyzed data on 29 cancer groups in 204 countries and concluded that cancer deaths in the world over 9 years increased by 21%. The paper was published in the monthly peer-reviewed medical journal JAMA Oncology.

In addition to increasing deaths and new cases, the latest estimates highlight global disparities in cancer burden, the authors said. The study describes cancer incidence, mortality, years of life with disability, years of life lost and disability-adjusted life years since 2010. Also included were global estimates for quintiles of socio-demographic index and comprehensive measure of education level, per capita income and total fertility rate for people under 25.

Globally, according to analysts, the total number of deaths from cancer in the world increased by 20.9% from 8.29 million in 2010 to 10 million in 2019. Similarly, the number of new cancer cases increased from 18.7 million in 2010 to 23.6 million in 2019, a 26.3% increase. According to estimates, in 2019 the number of deaths from cancer will be 250 million, which is 16% more than in 2010.

Efforts to prevent and control cancer need to be intensified to equitably address the developing and increasing burden of cancer across the spectrum of socio-demographic indicators. The increased burden of cancer in already overstretched and under-resourced countries is concerning given the existing disparities in access and health care coverage. Efforts to strengthen cancer control infrastructure, expand workforce capacity, increase access to universal health coverage and sufficient financial security will be critical, said research fellow at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and study author Jonathan Kocarnik.

The five leading cancer-related causes for both sexes combined in 2019, excluding other malignancies, were:

• Cancer of the trachea, bronchi and lungs;
• Colon and rectal cancer;
• Stomach cancer;
• Breast cancer;
• Liver cancer.

The researchers also found that the burden of cancer varies according to sociodemographic characteristics. The proportion of years lived with a disability that led increased with increasing wealth, ranging from 1.4% in the low-income quintile to 5.7% in the high-income quintile. While the high-income quintile recorded the highest number of new cases in 2019, and with the average, the highest number of cancer deaths were reported. Moreover, they predict that by 2040, more than two-thirds of the world's cancers will be in low- and middle-income countries.^[27]

US cancer deaths fall 27% in 50 years

Significant progress has been made in reducing cancer deaths in the United States, according to a study published on November 11, 2021. Rates across all cancers, overall, declined 27% between 1971 and 2019.

According to a group led by Tyler Kratzer of the American Cancer Society, the mortality rate has dropped "significantly" for 12 of the 15 major cancer foci analyzed. The researchers also found a larger reduction in deaths from certain cancers in certain years, such as lung cancer, which was 44% lower in 2019 compared to its peak in 1993.

From 1999 to 2019, the mortality rate from cancer decreased by 27%, from 200.8 to 146.2 deaths per 100 thousand population. Cancer mortality decreased more among men (31%) than among women (25%), but still was higher among men (172.9 deaths per 100 thousand population) than among women (126.2 deaths per 100 thousand population).

Various factors contributed to this general trend. These include advances in surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, precision medicine and combination therapy, and increased spending on the annual budget of the U.S. National Cancer Institute under the National Cancer Act of 1971. This increased the budget 25 times, from $227 million in 1971 to $6 billion in 2019, the team said.

However, there was also an increase in mortality in several categories, such as a 3% increase in pancreatic cancer and an 8% increase in esophageal and brain cancers. Cancer death rates were higher in the 29% of U.S. counties included in the analysis. They were mostly found in the south, the researchers added.

Kratzer et al. Called for improved equity through investment in social determinants of health and research to advance a national cancer control agenda.^[28]

Mortality in cancer beds in Russia increased by 25%

Mortality in cancer beds in Russia in 2010-2019. increased by 25%. This is evidenced by the data of the Central Research Institute of Organization and Informatization of Health Care (TsNIIOIZ) of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.

According to the study, the number of cancer beds around the clock in Russia over 10 years increased by 16.8%, to 36,186, due to an increase in the incidence of neoplasms in the population (by 24.9%), including malignant ones (1.5 times). 

According to TsNIIIZ, the provision of specialized beds from 2010 to 2019 increased by 13.8% (from 2.17 to 2.47 per 10 thousand people), the level of hospitalization on them - by 57.4% (from 6.1 to 9.6 per thousand people). Mortality in cancer beds increased by a quarter - from 0.76% in 2010 to 0.95% in 2019, however, the average length of stay in a cancer bed decreased (from 12.1 to 8.4 days - by 30.6%) and the average occupancy of a bed in the year (from 345 to 330 days - by 4.3%).

The extreme values ​ ​ of the level of hospitalization for oncological beds by region in 2019 differ by 12.8 times, the provision of beds - by 9.2 times, the average occupancy of a bed per year - by 1.5 times, the average duration of stay in a bed - by 2.4 times.

According to the authors of the study, the growth of the round-the-clock bed capacity of oncoprofile in the regions was uneven and it needs to be optimized, taking into account the needs of the subjects and the development of alternative medical services.

As part of the study, using data from federal statistical observation by descriptive statistics, the main indicators of the incidence of neoplasms in the population, as well as the work of beds around the clock in the Russian Federation, federal districts and constituent entities in the dynamics of 2010-2019, were analyzed^[29]

Cancer has become a leading cause of death in rich countries

In early September 2019, researchers announced that cancer was the leading cause of death in rich countries, overtaking cardiovascular disease. If current trends do not change, cancer could become the leading cause of death worldwide in just a few decades.

Publishing the results of two large studies in the medical journal The Lancet, scientists announced a new global "epidemiological transition" between different types of chronic diseases. Although cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide among middle-aged adults - accounting for 40% of all deaths - the trend is no longer among high-income countries, where cancer kills twice as many people as heart disease.

Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the world, accounting for 26% of all deaths. But as rates of cardiovascular disease continue to fall, it is possible that cancer will become the leading cause of death worldwide in just a few decades.

About 70% of all cases of cardiovascular disease and deaths are due to modifiable risk factors such as hypertension, high cholesterol, poor diet, smoking and other lifestyle aspects. In high-income countries, treatment with cholesterol-lowering statins and antihypertensive drugs has significantly reduced the incidence of cardiovascular disease over the past few decades. The team of researchers believes that the higher mortality rate from cardiovascular disease in low-income countries is mainly due to the poor quality of health care in these regions.^[30]

Cancer deaths in the United States are declining, but more and more poor people are dying

On January 8, 2018, the American Cancer Society released an annual report according to which 1.8 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2019, and 606,880 Americans are expected to die from this disease.

According to statistics, the death rate in the United States decreased annually from 1991 to 2016. In 1991, the number of deaths from oncology reached a record level - 215.1 cases per 100 thousand people. However, then this figure decreased annually by about 1.5%, and by 2016 there were only 156 deaths from cancer per 100 thousand people in the US population. 

At the same time, in poorer districts there is a significant increase in deaths from cancer. The imbalance is especially noticeable when it comes to lung cancer and cervical cancer. Compared to the wealthiest counties in the United States, cancer deaths in the poorest areas are twice as high for cervical cancer and 40% higher for lung cancer in men. In addition, until the early 1970s, mortality in poor areas of the United States from colon cancer was 20% lower than in the wealthy, and in 2016 it was 30% higher.

At the beginning of 2019, the most common cancers diagnosed in men are prostate, lung and colorectal cancers. Together, they account for 42% of all cases in men, with prostate cancer alone accounting for almost 1 in 5 new cases. For women, the 3 most common cancers are breast, lung and colorectal. Together, they account for half of all cases, with breast cancer alone accounting for 30% of new cases. A quarter of all cancer deaths are linked to lung cancer.

The rates of new cancer cases and deaths are quite different among racial and ethnic groups. The highest rates are among African Americans, the lowest among Asian Americans.

Racial and ethnic differences in incidence reflect several factors associated with socioeconomic status. People living in the poorest counties in the United States are more likely to smoke and be obese. Poverty is also associated with lower rates of cancer screening, late diagnosis and inability to receive good treatment.

Cancer is also the second most common cause of death among children ages 1 to 14 in the U.S. after accidents. It is projected to be diagnosed in about 11,060 children in this age group in 2019.

Each year, American Cancer Society researchers include a special section on the issue of cancer research or care in the report. In 2019, the topic of older people aged 85 years and older was considered. This age group is the fastest growing in the United States. Its numbers are expected to nearly triple from 6.4 million in 2016 to 19 million by 2060.

Cancer risk increases with age, and a rapidly aging nation will increase demand for its treatment. Diagnosis and treatment in this case are often complicated by other diseases.

Diet, exercise, screening and access to effective treatments are still the main means of fighting cancer, said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld of the American Cancer Society.^[31][32]

2018: Poor people in the US get sick and die from cancer more often

On October 5, 2018, an article by researchers from Yale University was published in the journal JAMA Network Open. They identified factors that contribute to high cancer deaths by comparing rates among different regions of the United States. Researchers believe that many socioeconomic and behavioral factors influence the spread and mortality from cancer - in particular, poor people are more likely to get cancer and die from it. The study authors hope the findings will help public health experts identify specific targets to reduce cancer deaths.

Although cancer deaths have declined in the United States in recent decades, the rates differ significantly between regions, and this difference is becoming larger. To identify the factors that might be driving these differences, a team of Yale researchers analyzed publicly available data on cancer patients in different regions, comparing them across a range of metrics. The statistics of deaths of malignant neoplasms recorded from October 1, 2016 to July 31, 2017 were used. First of all, the researchers compared mortality in low, middle and high income regions, and then tried to identify specific risk factors affecting these differences.

The research team confirmed that there is indeed a statistically significant difference in cancer deaths between different regions of the United States, with high-income regions reporting 186 deaths per 100,000 people and low-income regions seeing 204 deaths per 100,000 people. In middle-income regions, the death rate was 230 cases per 100,000 people.

Analysis aimed at identifying the relationship between independent variables showed that most of the differences are due to a number of key factors. According to vowel researcher Jeremy O'Connor, MD, PhD, the most important of these factors is poor diet due to low income, smoking, sedentary living and poor quality of care provided in the region.

In total, the researchers identified eight risk factors. Behavioural factors include obesity, smoking, and low physical activity, health organization factors - inaccessibility of care, poor quality of care, as well as lack of laws to ban smoking in public places, and social ones are the inaccessibility of health insurance and food instability, which means the inability to regularly buy food. As Dr. O'Connor explained, the uneven distribution of cancer deaths is explained not by individual factors, but by their combination - socioeconomic factors are superimposed on behavioral and mutually weigh each other.

As part of their methodology, the researchers also created a map to visualize the imbalance in cancer mortality by territory. They suggest that health professionals not spend their energy adjusting all eight risk factors at the same time, but focus only on the most significant for their region. This approach will allow officials to throw all funds to solve specific problems available in the territory entrusted to them.

The researchers also highlight the fact that while overall cancer mortality rates depend on the emergence of new treatments, differences between regions are driven by factors associated with the country's prevention and socioeconomic development.^[33]

2017: U.S. Mortality Reduction

At the end of March 2017, the American Cancer Society (ACS) reported a decrease in cancer deaths in the United States. The statistics were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

According to the results of the study, from 2010 to 2014, the number of deaths of cancer patients in the United States decreased by 1.8% per year in men, 1.4% in women and 1.6% in children.

A decrease in mortality over a four-year period was recorded in the case of 11 of the 16 most common malignant tumors in men and 13 of 18 in women, including for cancers of the lungs, colon and rectum, breast and prostate. At the same time, mortality increased from liver cancer ( in men and women), pancreas ( in men), brain ( in men) and uterus.

Between 1999 and 2013, the number of new cancers among men decreased, but women have stable dynamics in this regard.

The authors of the report attributed the reduction in the percentage of deaths in cancer patients to a decrease in tobacco smoking, as well as the fact that tumors began to be detected and treated more often in the early stages. By 2017, the number of Americans smoking is about 40 million, smoking remains the main cause of death from cancer.

The report contains a section on the survival rate of people found to have malignancies. In the case of some cancers, patients began to be cured more often at both early and late stages of the disease. At the same time, indicators vary depending on race and ethnicity, the condition of the patient and other factors. Thus, the total mortality from all forms of cancer among blacks is 33% higher than among the white population, and among the Indians and the Native population of Alaska the figure exceeds 51%.

Compared to the cases diagnosed in 1975-1977, the five-year cancer survival rate for the period 2006-2012 significantly improved for all types of diseases except cervical and uterine cancers. The greatest increase in survival (25% or more) was observed in prostate and kidney cancers, as well as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, myeloma and leukemia.

Although mortality-demonstrating trends most often serve as a measure of progress in the fight against cancer, survival trends are also an important indicator for monitoring progress in the treatment of cancer, said study author Ahmeddin Jemal, who works at ACS.

More effort and resources are needed to identify common cancers such as colon, breast and prostate cancers, the doctors said. In addition, doctors need to make more efforts to understand the trend of increasing cancer incidence of the uterus, female breast and pancreas.

Lisa Richardson, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, believes that the most important strategies for preventing cancer remain the fight against smoking and overweight.

Cancer deaths  in the U.S. continue to decline. However, progress in reducing mortality and increasing survival for some forms of cancer is limited, which suggests the need for increased work to find new prevention, early detection and treatment strategies , as well as the widespread and equitable application of preventive measures with proven effectiveness, the authors of the report summarized.

The American Cancer Society annually collects and analyzes data on cancer morbidity and mortality in the United States. The study, published in March 2017, analyzed national data for 10 years - from 2000 to 2014.^[34]

Cancer prevention

• Cancer Prevention Foundation

How to reduce your cancer risk

You can reduce the risk of cancer by timely eliminating and modifying risk factors, said Irina Andreyashkina, deputy chief freelance specialist in oncology at the Moscow Department of Health, in March 2021.

According to the oncologist, studies have established that the contribution of various risk factors to the occurrence of cancer is unequal. For example, the elimination of such a factor as "poor nutrition" can reduce the risk by 2%, the transition to an active lifestyle - by 3%, refusal to abuse alcohol - by more than 5.5%.

Among the most dangerous risk factors are obesity, which can be eliminated by reducing the likelihood of developing tumors by almost 8%. However, smoking takes the first place by a significant margin - the elimination or modification of this risk factor prevents 19% of cancer. This is true not only for lung cancer, but also for 15 other forms of malignant tumors - from, for example, tumors of the lips and tongue to the bladder.

"The level and rate of risk reduction are different for different neoplasms, but the greatest decrease is observed within about 5 years after quitting smoking," said Irina Andreyashkina.

2021: Vaccine against any cancer based on tumor DNA successfully passed the first phase of trials

In mid-April 2021, it became known that vaccine the first phase of testing was successfully completed against any cancer based on tumor DNA. The personalized cancer vaccine developed by the company Mount Sinai did not cause safety concerns and demonstrated beneficial effects in patients with a variety of cancers, including and lung cancer bladder that have a high risk of recurrence. More. here

2020: Aspirin called good cancer prevention

In mid-April 2020, Italian scientists released the results of a study on ways to prevent tumors. One finding is that aspirin reduces the risk of some types of digestive system cancer, including those that almost always become incurable and fatal, such as liver or pancreatic cancer. 

Those who took aspirin twice a week were 27% less likely to see doctors with bowel cancer and 36% less likely to see stomach cancer, the study found. In addition, the risk of developing malignant tumors of the pancreas and esophagus decreased by 22% and 33%, respectively.

Scientists studied data from 113 studies devoted to the study of cancer, including 45 papers on 156 thousand cases of bowel cancer. Cancers of the head and neck, esophagus, stomach, liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and pancreas were also investigated.

An aspirin dose of 75 to 100 mg per day is associated with a 10 percent reduction in cancer risk. As the dose increases, the risk of cancer decreases even more. However, large doses of aspirin also increase the likelihood of gastric bleeding, Cristina Bosetti said.

According to her, it is necessary to use aspirin for preventive purposes only when prescribed by a doctor who must choose the correct dosage.

Earlier, the University of Utah published the results of its study, which showed that after taking aspirin in the blood of healthy people and cancer cells, the content of 2-hydroxyglutarate, which is one of the main onometabolites, decreases. In total, such a decrease was 12-34%.

Scientists observed the metabolic blood profile of 40 people who took aspirin for 60 days and noticed that this drug could be useful in preventing the onset of colon cancer. ^[35]]

Cancer economics

2019

Annual losses of Russia from cancer estimated at $8.1 billion

The economic losses of the economy Russia from premature deaths due to cancer are estimated at $8.1 billion a year, according to a study conducted by experts at the National Medical Research Center of Oncology named after Petrov of the Ministry of University of Tampere and the International Agency for the Study of Cancer.  World Health Organization The data was released in early August 2019.

The greatest economic damage among men is caused by lung cancer ($1.2 billion annually), among women - breast cancer ($0.64 billion). In addition, the economy suffered losses due to the mortality rate of men from stomach cancer ($0.52 billion) and women from cervical cancer ($0.34 billion).

The total amount of economic losses due to premature mortality from cancer in Russia is more than 0.2% of GDP.

It is predicted that economic losses as a result of mortality from cancer will grow faster in women (from $18.622 thousand to $22.386 thousand) than in men (from $25.064 thousand to $28.459 thousand). The researchers noted that due to cancer, Russian women live on average 18 years less, men - by 15 years. 

Scientists believe that mortality from cancer in Russia will decrease, and with it economic losses. So, in 2030, a loss of $7.5 billion is predicted.

At the same time, losses will grow as a result of mortality from cervical cancer in women (by $214 million each year), and cancer of the lip, mouth and throat in men (by $182 million each year).

Earlier, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation named the types of cancer that were most often diagnosed in 2018. So, in the first place - skin cancer (except for melanoma). Such cases recorded 78.5 thousand. The second line in terms of incidence is breast cancer (70.3 thousand cases). The department also clarified that cancer of the trachea, bronchi and lungs (55.7 thousand cases), prostate cancer (41.5 thousand) and cancer of the colon - the main part of the colon (40.1 thousand) are common^[36]

The world's largest social network for cancer patients receives millions from investors

In early July 2019, a startup Belong.Life based in Tel Aviv with an office New York and developing a social network for patients cancer attracted $14 million in investments. Taking into account this round of financing, the company received a total of $30 million from investors for its existence. More. here

World Cancer Day

In 2000, the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) was declared World Cancer Day on February 4. The purpose of the Day is to draw public attention to this global problem, recall how dangerous and widespread cancer is now, and significantly reduce cancer deaths.

Notes