The world celebrates today, Tuesday, World Cancer Day 2025, and on this occasion a question arises: Is cancer still considered a fatal disease? Are the survival rates increased from it?
World Cancer Day is an international day that is celebrated on February 4, every year to increase awareness of cancer, encourage prevention, and mobilize work to treat a global cancer epidemic. This celebration is led by the International Cancer Control (UICC) and was founded in 2000.
The topic of International Cancer Day 2025-2027 is “united through exclusivity”, and people in the care center and explore new ways to make a difference.
According to the official website of International Cancer Day, this disease is more than just a medical diagnosis, it is a profound personal issue. And behind every diagnosis lies a unique human story, stories of sadness, pain, healing, flexibility, love and more.
The World Health Organization says that cancer is one of the main causes of death all over the world, as it caused the death of nearly 10 million people in 2020, or nearly one death in every 6 deaths.
The most common types of cancer are breast, lung, colon, rectum and prostate cancer.
About a third of the deaths caused by cancer is due to tobacco use, high body mass index, alcohol consumption, lack of fruits and vegetables, and lack of physical activity. In addition, air pollution is an important risk factor for lung cancer.
Cancer infection, such as HPV and hepatitis, are responsible for about 30% of cancer cases in low -income countries.
Many types of cancer can be treated if it is detected early and effectively treated.
Survival rate
Many countries of the world have recorded progress in the treatment of cancer, and have improved in the so -called “survival rate after cancer”.
The survival rate after cancer – or survival statistics – determines the percentage of people who survived a specific type of cancer for a specific period of time. Cancer statistics often use the total survival rate for 5 years.
Survival rates are usually provided in percentage. For example, the total survival rate for 5 years of bladder cancer is 77%. This means that among all people with bladder cancer, 77 in 100 people live after 5 years of diagnosis. On the contrary, 23 of every 100 people die in 5 years of diagnosis of bladder cancer.
For example over the past 30 years, the United States has recorded better results for those who have been diagnosed with the disease.
The death rate of cancer in America has decreased by 33% since 1991, thanks to cancer research that led to new treatments and gains in early detection of cancer, and most importantly, a sharp decrease in tobacco use.
The anti -smoking efforts – whether urging people to get rid of this habit or encourage them not to start smoking in the first place – had the strongest impact on improving expectations. Men’s lung cancer deaths decreased by 58% from 1990 to 2020, by 36% for women from 2002 to 2020.
New cancer treatments, improved cancer examination strategies, and the use of HPV virus vaccine as a tool for cancer to reduce the country’s cancer death rate. HPV infection has been associated with a number of diseases, especially cervical cancer, head and neck cancer.
According to the report of the American Cancer Society issued in 2023, the cancer death rate in the United States reached its peak in 1991, and it has been decreasing every year since then. The decline means 33% that for a city with a population of about 100 A thousand people, about 70 people died due to cancer in 2020 compared to 1991. In general, the rate decreased from an average of 215.1 annual cancer deaths per 100,000 Americans in 1991 to 143.8 in 2020.
Survival rates have also increased for 5 years for a longer period of time. The survival rate of cancer was generally 49% in the mid -seventies. It is currently 68%.
Reducing the burden on cancer
The World Health Organization says that between 30 and 50% of cancer cases can be prevented by avoiding risk factors and implementing prevention strategies.
The burden of cancer can also be reduced by early detection of cancer, appropriate treatment, and caring for patients with cancer. Many types of cancer have a high chance to recover if they are diagnosed early and are appropriately treated.
Cancer prevention
The risk of cancer can be reduced by:
- Do not use tobacco.
- Maintaining a healthy body weight.
- Eat a healthy diet, including fruits and vegetables.
- Doing physical activity regularly.
- Not drinking wine.
- Vaccination against HPV and hepatitis B if you belong to a group that is recommended for vaccination.
- Avoid exposure to UV rays (which are primarily produced from sun exposure and artificial tanning devices) and/or using sun protection measures.
- Safe and suitable use of radiation in health care.
Early diagnosis
When it is identified early, the cancer is more likely to respond to treatment and can lead to a greater possibility of survival with a low disease rate, as well as less expensive treatment. Significant improvements in the lives of cancer patients can be achieved through early detection of cancer and avoid delay in care.
Early diagnosis consists of 3 elements:
- Awareness of the symptoms of different forms of cancer and the importance of seeking medical advice when noting abnormal results
- Access to clinical evaluation and diagnosis services.
- Timely referral to treatment services.
Cancer treatment
The correct diagnosis of cancer is necessary for appropriate and effective treatment because each type of cancer requires a specific treatment system. Treatment usually includes surgery, radiotherapy and/or physical therapy (chemotherapy, hormonal treatments and targeted biological treatments). The appropriate choice of the treatment system takes into account both the cancer and the individual being treated. Completing the treatment protocol in a specific period of time is important to achieve the expected treatment result.
Defining the goals of treatment is an important first step. The primary goal is to treat cancer or prolonging age. Improving the quality of the patient’s life is also an important goal. This can be achieved by supporting the physical, psychological, social and spiritual luxury of the patient and palliative care in the final stages of cancer.
Some of the most common types of cancer, such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, mouth cancer and colon and rectal cancer, are characterized by high healing possibilities when detected early and treatment according to best practices.
Some types of cancer, such as tumor tumor and different types of leukemia and lymphuma in children, are also distinguished by high healing rates if appropriate treatment is provided, even when cancer cells are present in other areas of the body.
However, there is a great difference in the availability of treatment between countries with different income levels; It is believed that comprehensive treatment is available in more than 90% of high -income countries, but less than 15% of low -income countries.
What do we need for the future?
Although the world has made progress against many types of cancer, it remains one of the biggest health problems, which is the most common cause of death in many countries.
It is estimated that about 10 million people died due to cancer in 2021. This number is expected to rise over time, as the population grows and their aging.
The ability to treat cancer can improve by a better understanding of risk factors and causes and researching possible new treatments and public health policies.
You can also benefit more than the tools, including vaccines, antibiotics and antivirals to treat cancer caused by infection.
We can also save lives by expanding the scope of access to early examination and treatment, especially in places where health care is limited.
It is also recommended to use public health efforts that reduce smoking, while improving sanitation and reducing carcinogens exposure to pushing more progress in cancer prevention.