Cancer burden and trends in the asian pacific RIM region

Purpose With the control of infectious diseases in the countries of the Asian Pacific Rim, the importance of noncommunicable diseases such as cancer is sure to increase. Our aim is to estimate the current and future burden of cancer in this region. Methods Current cancer burden (incidence, mortality, prevalence) and future trend estimates were obtained from the GLOBOCAN 2000 database. The future cancer trends through to the year 2050 are projected based on population dynamics, including population growth and aging. Results Currently, the top eight cancers in the Asian Pacific Rim region are cancer of the stomach, lung, liver, colon or rectum, esophagus, breast, cervix, and leukemia. In 2000, the Asian Pacific Rim had more than 3 million new cancer cases, more than 2 million cancer deaths, and 5.4 million people living with cancer. For 2050, 7.8 million new cancer cases and 5.7 million deaths from cancer are projected. Conclusion The current cancer burden and the future projection reveal that cancer is and will be a very serious public health problem in the Asian Pacific Rim region. These data can assist public health officers and cancer researchers in the design and establishment of public health policies, prioritization of future research, and application of current knowledge in the prevention and control of cancer.