© World Health Organization 2006

Experience has shown that no matter what resource restraints a country faces, a well conceived and well managed national cancer control programme is able to lower cancer incidence and improve the lives of people living with cancer. The function of these programmes is to evaluate the processes for controlling the disease and to implement those that are the most cost-effective and beneficial for the general population. Programmes should promote the development of treatment guidelines and place emphasis on the prevention and early detection of cancers, while providing as much comfort as possible to patients with advanced disease.