Disease & Health WHO Cancer Overview

The Emperor of All Maladies

Let's look at the World Health Organization overview of cancer.

Benign tumors do not grow or spread. Malignant tumors grow and spread to other parts of the body.

Open Ended

Why do you think most cancer deaths (70%) occur in lower and middle income countries?

Multiple Choice

According to the graph (enlarge the graph by clicking on it or clicking "Zoom in"), which type of cancer does NOT have the highest incidence but DOES have the highest mortality?

• Breast

• Prostate

• Lungs

• Colorectal

Multiple Choice

99% of cervical cancer cases are linked to infection by what pathogen?

• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

• Human papilloma virus (HPV)

• All sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

• Hepatitis B virus (HBV)

Multiple Choice

According to the graph (enlarge the graph by clicking on it or clicking "Zoom in"), where are both the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer highest?

• Less developed regions

• The world

• More developed regions

Multiple Choice

According to the graph (enlarge the graph by clicking on it or clicking "Zoom in"), where are both the incidence and mortality of lung cancer highest and for which sex?

• Males in less developed regions

• Females in less developed regions

• Males & Females in the world

• Males in more developed regions

• Females in more developed regions

Open Ended

Why do you think less developed regions have high cervical cancer rates but low lung cancer rates, whereas more developed regions have low cervical cancer rates but high lung cancer rates?

Multiple Choice

According to the graph (enlarge the graph by clicking on it or clicking "Zoom in"), while the incidence of breast cancer varies in a same way lung cancer does, what do you notice about the mortality rates?

• They are very low, almost close to zero and non-existent

• They are relatively similar and stable

• They are widely variable and irregular

• They are very high, almost similar to the incidence rate

Multiple Choice

Note on the graph (enlarge the graph by clicking on it or clicking "Zoom in") the big difference between incidence and mortality of prostate cancer in more developed regions compared to the low but very similar incidences and mortality of prostate cancer in less developed regions. What does this indicate?

• A stronger and more aggressive type of prostate cancer is found in less developed regions

• There are no treatments, but prevention efforts have gone better in more developed regions

• There are effective treatments, but they are less available in less developed regions

Multiple Choice

According to the graph (enlarge the graph by clicking on it or clicking "Zoom in"), just like with lung cancer, which sex is more prone to developing and dying from colorectal cancer?

• Females

• Males

• No difference, they are both equally as likely