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Infections and the Etiology of Human Cancer: Epidemiological Evidence and Opportunities for Prevention

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Mechanisms in Carcinogenesis and Cancer Prevention

Part of the book series: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology ((HEP,volume 156))

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Abstract

Recent estimates of the cancer burden in the world indicate that as of the year 2000 10.1 million new cases arise annually. Mortality from cancer accounts for 6.2 million cases. The 5-year prevalence, which estimates the burden of disease that requires care and close surveillance, is estimated at 22.4 million cases worldwide. Incidence reflects, on a broad scale, the impact of the disease as well as the burden of diagnostic and first treatment requirements. Mortality reflects the number of potential years of life lost to cancer and its relation to cancer incidence (i.e., incidence to mortality ratio) and is used as a global index of the diagnostic and therapeutic efficiency of the health system. Currently, the most common cancers in the world are lung cancer (1.2 million new cases), and breast cancer (1 million new cases) followed by colon and rectum combined and stomach cancer (875,000 to 1 million new cases). Cancers of the liver, prostate, and cervix uteri contribute 400–600,000 new cases each. In terms of prevalence, the cancer sites that account for most of the disease burden include the locations with high incidence rates (such as lung cancer) and the relatively less frequent locations for which effective treatments are available, to a substantial fraction of the cases (such as cervix uteri). In these instances, survival of at least 5 years is reasonably good.

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Bosch, F.X., de Sanjosé, S., Ribes, J., González, C.A. (2003). Infections and the Etiology of Human Cancer: Epidemiological Evidence and Opportunities for Prevention. In: Vainio, H.U., Hietanen, E.K. (eds) Mechanisms in Carcinogenesis and Cancer Prevention. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, vol 156. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-08602-5_13

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