Introduction

Abstract

Cancer is a growing healthcare problem worldwide with significant public health and economic burden to both developed and developing countries. According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, with an estimated 20 million new cancer cases and 10 million cancer deaths in 2020. The International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC) estimates that globally one in five people will develop cancer in their lifetime. Low- and middle-income countries have been disproportionately affected by the rise of cancer incidence and account for approximately 70% of global cancer deaths. At the same time, substantial innovations in screening, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer have improved patient outcomes; global age-standardized cancer death rates showed a 17% decline from 1990 to 2016.