Position statement on Cancer Nursing's potential to reduce the growing burden of cancer across the world

Cancer is the first or second leading cause of premature death (i.e. at ages 30–69 years) in 134 of 183 countries, and it ranks third or fourth in an additional 45 countries ( Cao et al., 2020 Cao B. Soerjomataram I. Bray F. The burden and prevention of premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases, including cancer: a global perspective. in: Wild C.P. Weiderpass E. Stewart B.W. World Cancer Report: Cancer Research for Cancer Prevention. International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France2020http://publications.iarc.fr/586.Licence:CC BY-NC-ND3.0IGO Google Scholar ). An estimated 18.1 million new cancer cases and 9.6 million cancer-related deaths occurred worldwide in 2018 ( Bray et al., 2018 Bray F. Ferlay J. Soerjomataram I. Siegel R.L. Torre L.A. Jemal A. Global cancer statistics 2018: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. Ca - Cancer J. Clin. 2018; 68: 394-424 Crossref PubMed Scopus (45300) Google Scholar ). The incidence of cancer globally is expected to exceed 27 million new cancer cases per year by 2040 in part due to the ageing of the population and greater susceptibility to ageing related diseases such as cancer ( Fidler-Benaoudia et al., 2020 Fidler-Benaoudia M. Bray F. Transitions in human development and the global cancer burden. in: Wild C.P. Weiderpass E. Stewart B.W. World Cancer Report: Cancer Research for Cancer Prevention. International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France2020http://publications.iarc.fr/586.Licence:CCBY-NC-ND3.0IGO Google Scholar ). This estimated increase in cancer incidence will occur in all countries, but the predicted increase will be proportionately greatest in low and medium countries ( Fidler-Benaoudia et al., 2020 Fidler-Benaoudia M. Bray F. Transitions in human development and the global cancer burden. in: Wild C.P. Weiderpass E. Stewart B.W. World Cancer Report: Cancer Research for Cancer Prevention. International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France2020http://publications.iarc.fr/586.Licence:CCBY-NC-ND3.0IGO Google Scholar ).Cancer is also a disease associated with significant morbidity. It is estimated that the total annual economic cost of cancer in 2010 was US$1.16 trillion per year ( Seventieth World Health Assembly, 2017 Seventieth World Health Assembly Resolution WHA70.12. Cancer Prevention and Control in the Context of an Integrated Approach. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland2017https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/275676 Google Scholar ).