In 2020, if current trends continue, new cancer cases will increase to 16 million per year and more than 10 million people will die; between 2005 and 2015, it is projected that 84 million people will die of cancer. The absolute number of cases of cancer in persons younger than 50 years old is not predicted to increase in the next 50 years, but the absolute number of cases in persons aged 65 years and older is expected to double between 2000 and 2030.

Cancer is mostly treated using a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and systemic treatment, including cytotoxic drugs, hormonal therapy, or targeted treatment approaches. The latter include monoclonal antibodies or “small molecule” drugs that bind to more or less tumour-specific molecules (i.e., particular molecules present in or on the tumour cells and (ideally) not present, on normal cells) and in doing so, block the processes of carcinogenesis, tumour growth or spread. Because of their specificity for cancer cells, particularly if directed towards the molecular lesions that give rise to cancer (which are not present in normal cells), such molecules will have large benefits in terms of reduced toxicity compared to non-specific cytotoxic drugs. Drugs, a word applied here to all such systemic therapies, have for long played a central role in the treatment of some cancers, such as leukemias, lymphomas, testicular cancers and childhood cancers, and in recent years have played an increasingly important role in the management of many other cancers, usually in conjunction with surgery and/or radiation therapy, albeit, their value varies greatly from one cancer to another. Unfortunately, many patients worldwide do not have access to the drugs they need. This is part of a broader problem of access to optimal cancer care, which remains a significant challenge in many parts of the world. This paper outlines UICC's position on access to cancer drugs and is intended to stimulate discussion on ways of promoting more equitable access to optimal cancer care worldwide.

Please download the entire position paper below.