Cancer

Abstract

Cancer: A Very Short Introduction discusses the notion of cancer and how it affects people and the world as one of the biggest killers worldwide. It highlights that cancer is a problem that touches virtually everyone either directly or indirectly. Thus, cancer is a primary focus of many healthcare plans and government strategies. Paradoxically, with improving life expectancy, especially in low- and middle-income countries, cancer is becoming more common globally. This VSI provides an overview of the biology of the disease and its causes, including the growing role of evolutionary analysis in cancer research and trends in diagnosis and treatment, before detailing its subsequent economic consequences. It then looks into several issues, such as expensive drug development, new surgical and radiotherapy technologies, reduction of risk of developing cancer, and the use of complementary and alternative therapies.