On World Cancer Day (4 Feb, 2006) WHO announced that deaths from chronic disease by 2% could avert more than eight million deaths from cancer by 2015.

The organization said that it is advocating an integrated approach to prevention, treatment and care for chronic diseases including cancer, because they share common risk factors. This approach is being done through plans such Global strategy, physical activity and health.

Furthermore, cancer-specific initiatives are under way, such as increase in radiotherapy expertise in low-income countries and the development of guidelines for vaccines that target human papillomavirus. Because almost 40% cancers are preventable, WHO is also developing a global cancer strategy that focuses on prevention. This action follows on from the resolution in May 2005 by the World Health Assembly, which asked countries to take urgent action to prevent and control cancer.

“WHO is not aiming to set up a new vertical programme on cancer”, explains Andreas Ullrich (Department of Chronic and Health Promotion, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland). “Since cancer prevention and control encompass a large variety of diverse intervention such as immunization against hepatitis B, tobacco control and reduction of exposure to sunlight, we are in these single programmes in a cooperative WHO response to cancer”, he adds.

However, cancer experts who spoke to The Lancet Oncology say that to merge cancer control with chronic diseases in general is not a good idea. Although some risk factors such as tobacco and diet overlap, many other risk factors are specific to cancer, they explain.

An estimated 7.6 million people died from cancer in 2005, and 84 million people are predicted to die from cancer during the next 10 years if action is not taken. More than 70% of cancer deaths occur in low- income countries.