In 2012, there were an estimated 14 million new cases of cancer worldwide. Man, that's nothing.

The latest annual cancer report from the World Health Organization says that the number of new cancer cases each year is expected to rise by more than 50%, to 22 million, in the next 20 years. Furthermore:

Over the same period, cancer deaths are predicted to rise from an estimated 8.2 million annually to 13 million per year. Globally, in 2012 the most common cancers diagnosed were those of the lung (1.8 million cases, 13.0% of the total), breast (1.7 million, 11.9%), and large bowel (1.4 million, 9. 7%). The most common causes of cancer death were cancers of the lung (1.6 million, 19.4% of the total) , liver (0.8 million, 9.1%), and stomach (0.7 million, 8.8%)

The majority of new cancer cases and cancer deaths come in the developing world. The WHO says that "about half of all cancers could be avoided if current knowledge was adequately implemented"—which would save more than $500 billion in treatment costs.

Let's do that.

[Photo: AP]