Worldwide estimates of the numbers of new cases of and deaths from cancer are now available online in one place — GLOBOCAN 2008. The Internet-based resource is a project of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France.
The database, which uses statistics from 2008, provides information on the burden of cancer overall and for 27 specific cancer types for almost all countries and regions of the world.
It also reveals that most new cancer cases (56%) and deaths (63%) occur in less developed regions of the world, such as Asia and South America.
According to GLOBOCAN 2008, the most common cancers worldwide are lung (1.61 million, 12.7% of the total), breast (1.38 million, 10.9%), and colorectal (1.23 million, 9.7%).
The most common causes of cancer death are lung (1.38 million, 18.2% of the total), stomach (0.74 million, 9.7%), and liver (0.69 million, 9.2%) cancers.
