According to the World Health Organization (WHO) at least 84 million individuals worldwide will lose their battle with some form of cancer by the year 2015. The number of people who die from cancer each year, according to WHO, could be far more than 14 million worldwide unless more funding is allocated to important cancer research.
WHO, along with the International Union Against Cancer, has named February 4th of each year as a day for world citizens to not only donate to cancer research, but also to educate themselves about cancer in general.
Here in the United States, the American Cancer Society (ACS) reports that approximately 1,437,180 people died from cancer in 2008. Florida, California, Texas, and New York had the highest number of cancer-related deaths in the nation, while Wyoming had the smallest number of related deaths. Despite these discouraging statistics, the ACS also reports that, as of 2004, there were an estimated 10.8 million cancer survivors living in our country. The encouraging survival rates are attributed to advances in cancer treatment methods and an increase in individuals who detected their cancer early.
Unfortunately, Americans who are diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma cancer do not generally receive such encouraging information about their treatment and survival. Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer caused exclusively by previous exposure to asbestos, does not have a cure. Almost all mesothelioma sufferers will lose their battle with this disease in less than two years following their diagnosis, and mesothelioma treatment methods are essentially a temporary means of controlling pain and symptoms associated with the disease.
Mesothelioma is not a problem limited to the United States, however. In India, for example, the rate of mesothelioma and other asbestos-caused diseases is incredibly high, and the number of individuals diagnosed with these illnesses continues to rise. India imports 43% of the world’s asbestos, almost exclusively from Canada, and the country has very loose asbestos safety regulations.
World Cancer Day is an ideal time for all citizens worldwide to take the time to educate themselves about different types of cancer and the risk factors associated with each. It is also a day to donate to cancer research. The options for donating are virtually endless. Those interested in donating to mesothelioma cancer-specific treatment research may wish to consider giving to the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. For information about their organization, please visit their website at www.karmanos.org or send them an email at giving@karmanos.org.
For more information about mesothelioma (also known as asbestos cancer) and mesothelioma treatment methods, please visit www.maacenter.org.
