Global Perspectives in Cancer Care: Religion, Spirituality, and Cultural Diversity in Health and Healing

With cancer ranking as the primary or secondary cause of premature death in almost 100 countries worldwide, the World Health Organization recognized a high level of investment in cancer control and treatment (including palliative care) in 2019.At that time, governments at the World Health Assembly (WHA) unanimously adopted a new cancer resolution (Universal Health Coverage: Moving Together to Build a Healthier World).The resolution noted the potential for cancer prevention to reduce cancer burden in the future, while reducing the suffering from cancer in the communities. As most countries are facing an overall increase in the absolute number of cancer cases, large geographical diversity in cancer occurrence and variations in the magnitude and profile of the disease still continue between and within world regions.Specific types of cancer dominate globally: lung, female breast, and colorectal cancer.The regional variations in common cancer types signal the extent to which societal, econo