Cancer Scenario

  569,000 cancer deaths occurred in males in 2008.

  1.7 million new cases of cancer occur each year in the region.

  In males, the most common cancer type was lung cancer, which accounts for 17% of all types of cancers, followed by mouth and oropharynx cancers accounting for 15%, and liver 7.5% respectively.

  Cervical and breast cancers accounted for 35% of all cancer deaths among women.

  150,000 cancer-related deaths occurring annually in Bangladesh.

  In India, cancers caused a larger percentage of deaths among females than among males and the estimated percentage of cancer deaths varied from 6.4% to 13% .

  Most of the cancer deaths occur below the age of 60 years, of which 52% occur in women and 45% in men.

  Breast cancer ranked first in DPR Korea, Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand, where as in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal cervical cancer ranked first, in women.

Incidence of selected cancers per 100 000 population, by sex, South-East Asia Region, 2008