1 COLLEGIUM RAMAZZINI STATEMENT CANCER PREVENTION, SCREENING AND EARLY DIAGNOSIS, THE NEGLECTED SIDE OF CANCER CONTROL

Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and premature death worldwide.1 While cancer was previously a problem principally of the industrially developed countries, it increasingly is a problem in the developing ones. Today, half of the world’s newly diagnosed cancers and over 70 % of all cancer deaths occur in middle and low-income countries2. This persistent and growing burden of cancer in the world’s populations warrants heightened public health attention. Prevention, early detection, and therapy have all proven effective in controlling certain types of cancer and in reducing the burden of premature death and advanced disease.3 In many countries, however, these well established approaches to cancer control have not been applied to their full potential and in many countries are not applied at all. Furthermore, great disparities still exist in cancer control in relation to gender, race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. To confront the growing global epidemic of cancer, the Collegium Ramazzini calls for the adoption in all countries of the world of vigorous, proactive, and comprehensive programs for cancer prevention, screening and early diagnosis. The Collegium Ramazzini is an international scientific society that examines critical issues in occupational and environmental medicine with a view towards action to prevent disease and promote health. The Collegium derives its name from Bernardino Ramazzini, the father of occupational medicine, a professor of medicine of the Universities of Modena and Padua in the late 1600s and the early 1700s. The Collegium is comprised of 180 physicians and scientists from 35 countries, each of whom is elected to membership. The Collegium is independent of commercial interests