Cancer risk and prevention in a globalised world: solving the public policy mismatch

Abstract

The world faces an unprecedented growth in cancer incidence over the next fifty years, the majority of the burden falling on low-middle income countries. At the same time as the changing demographic profiles, including global population ageing we are also seeing the rapid globalisation of pro-cancer behaviours and commodities such as tobacco. The human and economic impact will continue to be severe unless radical changes occur to current public policy mismatches in cancer prevention. At the same time high level political actions through bodies such as the UN suggest that supra-national approaches are needed to solve these issues. However, we argue that only local nation-state approaches can fundamentally address cancer risk and enhance prevention in a globalised world.