The economic burden is also heavy. We need to count not just the soaring cost of cancer treatment, but also the cost of productivity lost through illness and death. Strategic investment in cancer prevention and control offers significant economic benefits - and nowhere more than in the developing world. Reducing the personal, social and economic impacts of cancer requires investment in prevention and early detection, with effective strategies to reduce the number of new cancers. It also requires better coordination of treatment and care, with effective strategies to improve outcomes and quality of life. We must prevent what is preventable, cure what is curable, improve patient care, and manage for success.