Deaths due to cancer in Latin America will increase by 106% by 2030
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) reported that cancer was the second leading cause of death in Latin America.
The report predicts that mortality related to cancer would increase by 106% by 2030, if there are no significant changes in the regions health policy. The report provides a summary of the data available in 12 countries: Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Paraguay, Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Argentina, indicating that approximately 60-70% of patients in the region are diagnosed with advanced stages of the disease.
The report indicates that every year a million new cases of cancer are added to the list and almost 70% of the deaths from the disease occur in the middle and lower income strata, reflecting inequalities in the region.
Countries, in general, have low availability of state-of-the-art drugs. Of the area, only Chile has the most advanced drugs to treat lung cancer. Only two nations, Chile and Uruguay, have enough radiotherapy equipment to treat patients.
The report explains that there is a higher risk of developing breast and prostate cancer in the region and that there has been a decrease in the incidence of liver and stomach cancer. Uruguay and Costa Rica stand out as having made the greatest efforts against cancer, while Bolivia and Paraguay are the countries with the slowest progress. For the control of the disease in Latin America an average of 4.6% of GDP is invested, while the average of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries is 7.7%.
