UN General Assembly
1959

56. Statistical data on the incidence of and mortality from cancerous diseases indicate that the number of persons dying of cancer each year throughout the world is over 2 million. This means that for every 100,000 persons in the world, more than 100 die of cancer every year. Assuming that the average life expectancy of persons with malignant tumours is from two to three years, it can be said that approximately 5 million people throughout the world are now suffering from cancerous diseases.