14 Million Developed Cancer in 2012 According to the WHO

The WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) estimates that the number of cancer cases have risen to 14.1 million in 2012 compared to 12.7 million in 2008. The organization notes that 14.1 million new cases in 2012 alone compared to 12.7 million in 2008. The numbers are from recent estimates for 28 types of cancer in 184 countries.

Furthermore, it's estimated that there were 8.2 million cancer deaths in 2012 and 7.6 million in 2008.

At this time, the agency estimates that cancer rates are likely to continue rising with a projected 19.3 new cancer cases per year by 2025 due to the growth of the aging population.

The most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide remain lung, breast and colorectal. However, the most common causes of cancer deaths for cancer include lung, liver and stomach.

More than half of all cancer cases and cancer deaths in 2012 occurred in less developed regions of the world, according to the WHO, and unfortunately, will most likely increase further in these areas by 2025.

Among these, breast cancer rates continue to rise with an estimated 1.7 million women worldwide diagnosed with the disease.

"Breast cancer is also a leading cause of cancer death in the less developed countries of the world," said David Forman, head of IARC's Section of Cancer Information, the group that compiles the global cancer data, via the New York Daily News. 

As cancer death rates remain relatively much higher in less developed countries, health officials point out that this is often due to a lack of screening and accessible treatment. For the future, they hope to reach out to more individuals via the proper medical treatment before it's too late.

"An urgent need in cancer control today is to develop effective and affordable approaches to the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer among women living in less developed countries," said Christopher Wild, IARC's director, via the New York Daily News. "These findings bring into sharp focus the need to implement the tools already available for cervical cancer, notably HPV vaccination combined with well organised national programmes for screening and treatment."

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