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Early diagnosis can help more people survive cancer, says WHO

Early diagnosis can help more people survive cancer, says WHO

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Diagnosing and treating cancer early can improve the chances of survival for people living with the disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Launched ahead of World Cancer Day observed annually on 4 February, new guidelines from the agency call for more access to effective diagnostic services, including imagining, laboratory tests and pathology.

Early detection in breast, cervical and colorectal cancers, for example, enables treatment that is generally more effective, less complex and less expensive, WHO says.

Dr Etienne Krug, Director of WHO’s Department for the Management of Non-communicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention, spoke to Jocelyne Sambira about what individual countries can do to save lives and cut treatment costs.

Duration: 5'24"

Photo Credit
Each year on 4 February, WHO and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) supports Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to promote ways to ease the global burden of cancer. Image: WHO/IARC