The theme of World Cancer Day is that cancer is a preventable disease.

With its 140,000 members the Cancer Society of Finland is the largest public health organisation in the country. The society’s 17 member organisations provide information on cancer prevention and support for patients throughout Finland, from Ahvenanmaa in the Finnish archipelago to Utsjoki in the far north. The society maintains the Finnish Cancer Registry and, using the registry’s research data, has estimated what is likely to happen in the future to those 100 people in Finland who are diagnosed each day with cancer.

“Forty out of 100 cancers in Finland would be preventable,” says Dr Harri Vertio MD, General Secretary of the Cancer Society of Finland.

“We also have a fairly good idea of what the preventive measures are. If no one in Finland smoked there would be 15 fewer cancer diagnoses each day. Because of this, from the viewpoint of cancer prevention the aim of a smoke-free society is an extremely sensible one.”

If no one got sunburn, there would be three fewer cancer diagnoses each day. If every woman was able to maintain a normal weight and took plenty of exercise, there would be four less cancer diagnoses a day – most of which concern breast cancer.

Thanks to cancer screening we can prevent one or two cases of cancer a day.

The hardest thing to estimate is the relationship between nutrition and cancer. Recent studies have presented two intriguing figures. If everyone’s weight index limits were normal, 17 cancers would be avoided, while if everyone ate in line with what we know concerning cancer and nutrition, 26 cancers could be prevented.

What happens to those people who fall ill?

“Sixty-five out of 100 patients survive for the next five years and 35 succumb to the disease. Of those who are ill 55 will recover completely, but 10 will have to continue to be treated or will find that it recurs,” says Vertio.

Finland is one the leading countries in the world in terms of cancer treatment outcomes. Vertio says that it is important that in addition to prevention, counselling and rehabilitation is provided to those who are ill so that they make a good recovery.

“Rehabilitation provides support to 12 out of 100 patients. In addition, many are referred to the counselling services of the Cancer Societies. Over a six month period the website of the Finnish Cancer Organisations provides support to over half a million individual visitors. Many of them are friends and family members of patients.”

In future there could be advances in treatment.

“One estimate is that over the next ten years cancer treatment will become 10% more effective. This means that most cancer patients will see more birthdays,” says Dr Vertio.