Better Cancer Treatment could Cut Mortality by One-Third: Maybe we should be looking to cancer protocols as a better way to reduce the mortality in our DFU patients.

Earlier diagnoses and better treatment for cancer could save the lives of approximately 800,000 people in industrialised countries annually. This is the outcome of the new report "Cancer Care: assuring quality to improve survival" published by the Organisation for Economic Development (OECD) and the EU.

In an announcement published with reference to the report, it was stated that "the member states are not handling the cancer problem as efficiently as they actually should be. By improving care standards, cutting waiting times and managing resources more effectively, one-third of the deaths could be prevented in the OECD countries."

In the OECD, more than five million cases are diagnosed annually – on average 261 per 100,000 residents – and 2.4 million people die from cancer. Worldwide, this figure reaches 7.6 million.

The survival rates vary widely from country to country. On OECD average, 124.1 women and 208.2 men per 100,000 residents die of cancer every year. The lowest cancer mortality rates are found in Mexico (84.9 women, 100.6 men) and the highest in Hungary (164.2 women, 316.1 men).

The report urges adequate resources be put into cancer care across all countries: the expenses per person range from 32 US dollars (23,24 euros) per year and resident in Turkey up to 400 dollars in the USA (290,53 euros). Proportional to the entire health care expenses, therapy and prevention totalled from 3 to 7 percent.