Days after that controversial British Medical Journal study cast doubt on whether regular mammograms really reduce the death rate from breast cancer, Cancer Research UK has come out with new mortality stats that remind us of the big picture. This map (interactive version here) shows 2012 cancer deaths around the world; the darker the pink, the higher the mortality rate, the darker the blue, the lower the rate.
One important finding: Worldwide, men are much more more likely to die of cancer than women (men account for 57% of cancer deaths vs. 43% for women).
- Central/Eastern Europe has the highest cancer mortality rates for men, Western Africa the lowest (173 deaths per 100,000 vs. 68 per 100,000).
- For women, cancer is deadliest is Melanesia (119 deaths per 100,000), and least deadly in South-Central Asia (65 per 100,000).
- Armenia has the highest cancer mortality rate among males (210 per 100,000); Zimbabwe has the highest rate among females (146 per 100,000).
- The U.S. mortality rate is 105 deaths per 100,000; the three deadliest cancers are lung (27%), bowel/colon (9%) and breast (7%).
- Worldwide, lung, liver, stomach and bowel/colon cancer account for nearly half of cancer deaths (breast cancer is No. 5 on the list).
