AFP Relax News: Cancer experts urge greater focus on prevention
“Cancer is not an inescapable fate. But while prevention can save millions of lives much more cheaply than treatment, it remains an underfunded, much-neglected weapon in the anti-cancer arsenal, experts say. Some 14 million new cancers are diagnosed each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) — a number expected to swell to 21 million by 2030. As the global cost of treatment skyrockets, measures to prevent people [from] getting cancer in the first place are an increasingly important focus in seeking to limit the expected explosion. … On Friday, the WHO unveiled new global guidelines, seeking to place more emphasis on early cancer diagnosis and treatment…” (2/3).

International Business Times: World Cancer Day 2017: Theme and facts about one of the world’s deadliest diseases
“…On the eve of World Cancer Day, the [WHO] has issued new guidance to help health services improve their diagnosis capacities to improve the chances of survival for people living with cancer. The report lists three steps that need to be taken for early diagnosis of cancer to take place: improving public awareness of different cancer symptoms and making sure people turn to doctors when they identify these symptoms, equipping health services and training health workers so they can conduct accurate and timely diagnostics, and finally making sure people living with cancer can access safe and effective treatment without too many financial barriers…” (Surugue, 2/3).

Reuters: To save lives, WHO wants global focus on catching cancer early
“Late diagnosis of cancer leads to millions of people enduring needless suffering and premature death, and efforts to catch the disease earlier must be stepped up, the World Health Organization said on Friday. In a report launched ahead of World Cancer Day on February 4, the WHO said it wanted to improve chances of survival for cancer patients by ensuring health services focus on diagnosing and treating the disease earlier…” (Kelland, 2/3).

U.N. News Centre: Early cancer diagnosis, better trained medics can save lives and money — U.N.
“…New guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) … tries to inform the public about the different symptoms of cancer so that they can get care and to provide safe and effective treatment. … Each year, 8.8 million people die from cancer, mostly in low- and middle-income countries, according to WHO figures. The figure is so high that [it] accounts for two and a half times more people killed than those who die from HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. It is estimated that by 2030, more than two-thirds of all cancer-related deaths will be in developing countries…” (2/3).

Xinhua News: WHO calls for early cancer diagnosis
“…According to WHO’s new guide to cancer early diagnosis, all countries can take steps to improve early diagnosis of cancer. Steps to early diagnosis include improving public awareness of different cancer symptoms, encouraging people to seek care, and investing in strengthening and equipping health services. WHO said challenges are clearly greater in low- and middle-income countries, which have lower abilities to provide access to effective diagnostic services. WHO encouraged these countries to prioritize basic, high-impact and low-cost cancer diagnosis and treatment services. The organization also recommended reducing the need for people to pay for care out of their own pockets, which prevents many from seeking help in the first place” (2/3).