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Controlling cancer

To address this growing burden and achieve targets for premature mortality reduction from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) set out in the WHO Global action plan for the prevention and control of NCDs 2013–2020 and achieve target 3.4 of the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals effective programmes in comprehensive cancer control are needed.

The key mission of WHO’s work in cancer control is to promote national cancer control policies, plans and programmes that are harmonized with strategies for NCDs and other related health concerns. Our core functions are to set norms and standards for cancer control including the development of evidence-based prevention, early diagnosis, screening, treatment, and palliative and survivorship care programmes, as well as, to promote monitoring and evaluation through cancer registries and research that are tailored to the local disease burden and available resources.

400 000

children develop cancer each year.

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US$ 1.16 trillion

is the estimated total annual economic cost of cancer in 2010

9.6 million

people worldwide

are estimated to have died from cancer in 2018

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Our work

WHO cancer control modules

WHO guide for effective programmes

A practical guide for programme managers on how to plan overall cancer control effectively, according to available resources and integrating cancer control with programmes for other chronic diseases and related problems. This publication is a series of 6 modules on cancer control.

Cancer control: Diagnosis and treatment

A practical guide for programme managers on how to implement effective cancer diagnosis and treatment, particularly linked to early detection programmes...

Cancer control: Early detection

A practical guide for programme managers on how to implement effective early detection of major types of cancer that are amenable to early diagnosis and...

Cancer control: Palliative Care

A practical guide for programme managers on how to implement effective palliative care for cancer, with a particular focus on community-based care. Other...

Cancer control: Planning

A practical guide for programme managers on how to plan overall cancer control effectively, according to available resources and integrating cancer control...

Cancer control: Policy and advocacy

A practical guide for medium level decision-makers and programme managers on how to advocate for policy development and effective programme implementation...

Cancer control: Prevention

A practical guide for programme managers on how to implement effective cancer prevention by controlling major avoidable cancer risk factors. Other modules...

Publications

National Cancer Control Programmes
Policies and managerial guidelines - WHO 2002
National cancer control programmes core capacity self-assessment tool

The objective of the tool is to carry out a simple qualitative assessment in a short period of time. The tool facilitates the evaluation of the countries'...