WHO encourages early cancer detection

New York patients who receive a late diagnosis of cancer often endure preventable suffering and death. According to the World Health Organization, efforts for early cancer detection have to intensify.

In a report that was issued prior to Feb. 4, 2017, which was World Cancer Day, WHO also asserted that it wanted cancer patients to have better chances of survival and would work to ensure that health care services focus on early diagnosis and treatment. A WHO authority on cancer and chronic disease stated that the diagnosing of cancer in its late stages and the inability to provide adequate treatment contribute to the suffering and demise of cancer patients.

The representative went on to state that the early diagnosis of cancer and immediate treatment, especially for those individuals who are suffering from colorectal, breast and cervical cancers, would result in more survivors and lower treatment expenses. The early detection of cancer is a significant factor in the reduction of cancer's financial impact. Nearly one out of six deaths in the world is due to cancer, according to the WHO report. The loss of productivity and the cost of health care related to cancer combined for an estimated $1.16 trillion in 2010. The number of people who develop cancer each year totals over 14 million and is expected to increase to over 21 million by 2030. Around 8.8 million people die from cancer every year.

The failure to diagnose cancer in a timely manner can be an act of medical malpractice for which a victim may have legal recourse under some circumstances. Such a lapse in medical care may result in the delay of necessary treatment, the spreading of the disease to other parts of the body, undue suffering and death. A medical malpractice attorney can obtain the opinions of medical experts to determine whether the practitioner failed to exhibit the requisite standard of care.