Cancer Prevention In The Middle East

The third leading cause of death worldwide is cancer and is projected that by 2030, there will beabout 26 million new cancer cases and t7 million cancer deaths per year. The global distribution ofcancer continues to change, especially in economically developing countries that include manycountries in the Middle East and North Africa regions. Low- and middle-income countries areprojected to account for about 60% of all cancers worldwide by 2050. The projected increase will bedriven mainly by growth and aging populations in the Middle East populations. Unfortunately,practically no preventive care culture exists in many of the Middle Eastern countries facing theprojected increased rate of cancer in the coming decades. Another major problem in the MiddleEastern countries is high prevalence of cancer-promoting behavior such as smoking and a sedentarylifestyle. It is highly recommended that cancer prevention programs which include practicalnational policies, mass screening, early detection, education programs, access to effectivetreatments should start soon in many of the Middle East countries facing projected increased cancerincidence in their populations.