FREAKY FACTS... the cancer epidemic

By VIRGINIA WINDER
WHILE we may one day face another flu pandemic, bird delivered or not, we are already facing a full-blown crisis.
Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the Western World, including New Zealand. It’s only surpassed by heart disease.
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in New Zealand women. For Kiwi men, prostate cancer is the No 1 foe.
But, according to the World Health Organisation and World Cancer Research Fund, we can do our best to reduce the risks.
Eating a healthy diet with five daily portions of fruit and vegetables, not smoking, staying physically active and maintaining a healthy weight, can cut the risk of cancer up to 40%.

Other scary cancer facts:
1) In 2005, more than 7.6 million people died of cancer out of 58 million deaths worldwide.

2) Based on projections, cancer deaths will continue to rise with an estimated 9 million people dying from cancer in 2015, and 11.4 million dying in 2030.
3) Child cancer patients in Third World countries have only a 20% rate of survival, while their counterparts in developed countries have an 80% chance of beating the disease.

4) There are more than 100 types of cancers and any part of the body can be affected.

5) One-fifth of all cancers worldwide are caused by a chronic infection, for example human papillomavirus (HPV) causes cervical cancer and hepatitis B virus causes liver cancer.