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The Inquiry: Are We Fighting Cancer the Right Way?

Are We Fighting Cancer The Right Way?

02/02/2016 GMT

Are We Fighting Cancer the Right Way?

BBC World Service - The Inquiry, Are We Fighting Cancer the Right Way?

The rising number of cancer cases worldwide poses a challenge for doctors and governments

The number of cancer cases is set to rise by 70% globally over the next 20 years. Can medicine alone deal with the problem?

The World Health Organisation says the number of cancer cases will rise by 70% over the next 20 years. A huge amount of effort and money is spent fighting the disease. But are we getting that fight right? One leading oncologist, Vincent DeVita, tells us the nature of modern medical research and oversight means we are not able to benefit as much as we might from the extraordinary clinical tools we have at our disposal. Another expert witness, professor Heidi Williams from MIT, describes research which shows incentives for drug companies promote short term gains over treatments that could cure early stage cancers. Dr Christopher Wild from the WHO says it does not make sense to spend most of the cancer research budget on cures when up to 40% of cancers are preventable. And, Pekka Puska, a pioneer in the world of public health, explains how communities can make big changes and prevent many cases of lifestyle-related cancers.

(Photo: Lab Technician preparing protein, Credit: Reuters Archive)

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