Cancer in Southeast Asia: Strategies for Control

The incidence and mortality from cancer has been increasing steadily in southeast Asia, probably related to increased life expectancy resulting from control of some of the major diseases. There are many impediments to cancer control in that part of the world, including poverty, limited access to health services, primarily rural distribution of population, and the dependence on treatment by traditional healers. There are potentially controllable environmental factors associated with some cancers commonly seen in countries of southeast Asia. We have proposed changes in the approach to cancer control in these countries. These include political organization, professional education programs, manpower development in special areas of need, public education in cancer prevention, early detection, team approaches to diagnosis and treatment, and emphasis on epidemiology in research.