A hundred of the world's leading cancer specialists met in Switzerland recently to formulate a 10-point action plan to finish off what former US president Richard Nixon started in 1971, when he signed the US National Cancer Act. Most Americans thought a cure for cancer would be found within five years then – emulating the technological success of landing a man on the moon. More than 40 years later, few experts talk of a single cure for the 200 or so known types of cancer. The optimism of the early 1970s has given way to the determination of a cancer community under siege from the global epidemic. Now, they have realized that curing cancer is certainly more complicated than landing on the moon. However, many kinds of cancer are treatable and survival rates across the world have improved dramatically. Cancer is still a leading cause of disease worldwide, accounting for around 13 percent of all deaths in 2008. According to WHO 22 percent of the cancer deaths worldwide are caused by smoking. Half of the habitual smokers are expected to die from tobacco-induced cancer. We, sadly, see 30 million new smokers every year in the world. This shows the public disregard for the danger of this dreaded habit. According to cancer specialists the most common cause of cancer-related death is lung cancer. The preventive measures advised by specialists to reduce the risk of getting cancer are: eating a healthy diet by maximizing the intake of fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, minimizing exposure to radiation and toxic chemicals and most importantly avoiding smoking or chewing tobacco. S.H. Moulana, Riyadh
