A major cancer project is marking World Cancer Day by renewing a call for Canadians to join in a landmark study to help gain a better understanding of cancer and other chronic diseases.

The project was launched in 2008. Those who sign up will be followed over many years so researchers can look at how genetics, environment, lifestyle, and behaviour contribute to the development of cancer and other chronic diseases such as heart and lung disease and diabetes. The goal is to have 300,000 Canadians between the ages of 35-69 participating.

Dr. Heather Bryant, vice-president of Cancer Control, Canadian Partnership Against Cancer says, "By joining the landmark study, Canadians will be contributing to the creation of a rich national bank of health information to help researchers answer fundamental questions about the causes of cancer and chronic disease for future generations."

People who join the study will be asked to provide information about their health, lifestyle and environment, give biological samples such as urine and blood, and physical measurements such as weight and height.

Researchers say that over the long-term they will be able to build layers of information that will create a better understanding of how all these factors interact to affect health.

'Making a simple contribution that could make a significant difference in cancer research, and prevent my children and grandchildren from ever developing the disease.'—Jan Duff

One participant, Jan Duff, says she is "making a simple contribution that could make a significant difference in cancer research, and prevent my children and grandchildren from ever developing the disease."

U.S. study links economic development and cancer

A study from the American Cancer Society, released on World Cancer Day, says cancers associated with lifestyles and behaviors will continue to rise in developing countries if preventive measures are not widely applied.

The findings, in the second edition of Global Cancer Facts & Figures, says there were approximately 12.7 million new cancer cases worldwide in 2008. Well under half or 5.6 million occurred in developed countries while 7.1 million were in economically developing countries. There were 7.6 million cancer deaths worldwide in 2008: 2.8 in developed countries and 4.8 million in developing countries.

The report estimates that cancer cases will nearly double by 2030, growing to 21.4 million cases and 13.2 million deaths. The reason for the growth is demographic changes such as a growing and aging population and may be affected by unhealthy lifestyle and behaviours related to economic development.

An accompanying editorial by Dr. Otis W. Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, says many cancer deaths were potentially avoidable through the prevention of known risk factors, including tobacco use, diet, certain infections and alcohol.

Breast cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death among women in economically developing countries, notes the study. In previous decades cervical cancer was the most common cause of cancer death among women. Lung cancer death rates are increasing in China and several other countries in Asia and Africa where smoking rates have not dropped as they have in North America.