Norma Nery
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Rio - Brazil expects to have over 470 thousand new cases of cancer in 2006. This is slightly more than the 468 thousand new cases forecast for this year. The Estimate of Cancer Incidence in Brazil in 2006 was announced yesterday (23) by the National Cancer Institute (INCA). The data indicate that benign skin cancer, affecting many farm workers, will be the most common form of the disease (116 thousand cases), followed by breast cancer (49 thousand), cancer of the prostate (47 thousand), lung cancer (27 thousand), and cancer of the colon and rectum (25 thousand).

The data confirm the universal tendency for the number of cancer cases to grow, in consequence of the longer lifespan of the population. They also reveal a significant increase in female mortality caused by lung cancer in the past 20 years. Since 1979 lung cancer has risen from fourth to second place among the forms of cancer responsible for female fatalities. Among men, when benign skin cancer is excluded, cancer of the prostate has gone from second to first place in terms of rate of occurence. Lung cancer used to be the form of cancer most common among men.

According to the study, nearly 235 thousand new cases of cancer will be reported among men next year, including 55 thousand cases of benign skin cancer, 47 thousand cases of cancer of the prostate, 18 thousand cases of lung cancer, 15 thousand cases of stomach cancer, and 11 thousand cases of cancer of the colon and rectum. Among women, nearly 240 new cases of cancer are expected to occur, the most frequent being benign skin cancer (61 thousand cases), breast cancer (49 thousand), cancer of the uterus (19 thousand), cancer of the colon and rectum (14 thousand), and lung cancer (9 thousand).

According to the general director of the INCA, Luiz Antonio Santini, increasing the number of early diagnoses of cancer cases through the involvement of specialized cancer treatment units and the Federal Health System (SUS) is part of the new cancer care policy to be announced on Monday (28) by the minister of Health, Saraiva Felipe.

Translation: David Silberstein