It seems like every day another cause of cancer is discovered, so it may come as a surprise that a new report is estimating that almost no one will be dying from the insidious disease by the year 2050.
According to a study by University College London,”it is realistic to expect that by 2050 nearly all cancer related deaths in children and adults aged up to (say) 80 years will have become preventable through lifestyle changes and because of the availability of protective technologies and better pharmaceutical and other therapies.” Just so it’s clear, the University is saying that through proper lifestyle changes and expected medical breakthroughs dying of cancer will be preventable in 35 years, not completely unheard of.
In the meantime, terminal cases are actually expected to increase. Current estimates actually forecast statistics to almost double by 2030, to 26 million diagnoses and 17 million deaths worldwide. A significant portion of those stats may come from China which has a large population of older citizens. For anyone under the age of 80, the numbers are expected to decline and richer countries will see a dramatic decrease in deaths. The UK is expected to see a 40% decrease from 1990’s statistics by 2030.
The report emphasizes that it’s essential for people to make lifestyle changes based on increased awareness. For example tobacco use has been steadily declining and many people have become more conscientious about what they eat.
A lot can change in thirty-five years though. For instance the jury is still out on whether cell phones can lead to the disease developing and for many, attachment to a mobile phone is becoming a real addiction. For now, the best practice is to pay attention to prevention techniques and get to a doctor at the first sign of cancer symptoms.
(Photo: Wikipedia)
