A Focus on Oncology

Cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell proliferation which, left untreated, will ultimately kill the patient.  Over time, cancer tends to spread or metastasise to other tissues and organs of the body.

According to the World Health Organization, the global burden of cancer is expected to grow from 10 million cases in 2000 to 15 million cases in 2015. Sixty percent of these cases will occur in the developed countries and will account for the majority of the global oncology market. The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 1.2 million cases in the United States alone were diagnosed in 2002, 90% of which were classified as solid tumors of functional organs (e.g. breast, prostate, lung, colorectal cancers). 

Despite the increasing approval rates of new therapeutic solutions, statistically significant improvements in survival rates have increased only incrementally and are not shared equally among different tumor types, sexes, age groups, or ethnicities. For example, while deaths in women with breast cancer have been declining, deaths related to lung cancer in this same population have been increasing. The major killers, which include lung, colorectal, and breast cancer, remain the leading causes and account for over half of all cancer-related deaths.

The overall growth and aging of the world population is the main driver behind the increase in cancer cases and expected cancer-related deaths. Perhaps as oncologists gain a better understanding of how to best utilize the latest additions to cancer therapeutics, overall survival rates will continue to improve.

It is believed these statistics should also improve with diagnostic advancements as well as from treatment with the newer biotechnology therapeutics on the horizon. Of these therapeutic classes, those designed as targeted therapies characterised as biologics should arise as this decade more promising anti-cancer agents. Some of the best examples of these therapies are antibody-based.