Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Cuba, after cardiovascular diseases. It is estimated that every year about 21,000 people die of cancer on the island and more than 31,000 cancer cases are newly diagnosed.

"Cancer is one of the major killers in Cuba. This is partly because people live longer but also because many have adopted unhealthy lifestyles. Too many people use alcohol harmfully, eat unhealthily and use tobacco," says Dr José Luis Di Fabio, the head of the WHO Country Office in Cuba. "Among men, prostate and lung cancers are the most common types of cancer, and among women breast and cervical cancer are at the top of the list."  Read more

Visit the PAHO World Cancer Day 2013 webpage.