Cancer Rates Are Getting Higher in the Poor Countries

Although cancer rates are lowering in the developed and rich countries due to the new technology and the raised awareness, cancer rates are getting higher in the poor countries.

The highest cancer rates continue to be in the rich countries though because of the bad habits like smoking and eating junk food. Unfortunately the poor countries that adopt this unhealthy lifestyle are becoming more exposed to the risks of getting cancer.

14 million cancer cases occurred and 8.2 million deaths resulted because of cancer in 2012. And it will only get worse. These numbers are expected to grow fast by the specialists if the people don’t change their lifestyle quickly.

The most common forms of cancer in the developed countries are breast, lung, colon, prostate, esophageal, liver, cervical and stomach cancer, caused mainly by overweight and smoking. These make for 60% of cancer deaths and cases around the world. In the underdeveloped countries the most frequent forms of cancer are cervical, stomach and liver cancer.

The biggest problem these poor and middle countries encounter is the lack of resources when it comes to diseases as advanced, complex and difficult to heal as cancer. Most of them don’t have screening programs and so they can’t identify and treat the cancer patients.

The explanation of the increasing cancer rates is that as the countries get richer people start to eat badly, they start to afford cigarettes and they stop being physically active, increasing the risks of cancer.

The United States for example are exporting junk food, fast food and increased tobacco exports, boosting the American lifestyle in underprivileged countries from Asia, Africa and South America.

Profit has taken over human life, exporting along with the products causes and in the end cases of cancer.

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