World Cancer Day: New research gives hope to cancer patients in Belgium

World Cancer Day: New research gives hope to cancer patients in Belgium

Some 85,000 additional lives were saved between 1990 and 2014 in Belgium thanks to advances in cancer research, said Saturday the Foundation against Cancer in a statement on the eve of World Cancer Day. While the number of detected cases has increased, the number of deaths remains stable. The mortality rate is therefore down.

World Cancer Day takes place every year on 4 February and is organized by the Union for International Cancer Control's (UICC) in the fight against cancer. It aims to save globally millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about the disease, pressing governments and individuals across the world to take action.

The increased effectiveness of cancer treatments is reflected in particular by the evolution of 5-years survival figures, says the Belgian foundation. 59% of men and 68% of women are still alive 5 years after the discovery of their cancer, according to figures from the Cancer Registry for the period 2004 to 2008 in Belgium.

"Of course, the chances of survival and recovery are very variable depending on the type of cancer, but this progress translates into an impressive number of years of life saved. In Belgium, it is estimated that more than 350,000 people have survived cancer in the last ten years," the Foundation concludes.

Despite this progress, around 27,000 people die each year in Belgium from cancer. In January, the Foundation against Cancer launched a new call for projects in basic, translational and clinical research. It has raised 22.6 million euros which will be made available to researchers.

The Brussels Times


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