Cancer levels might just double up according to a report thrown in by the World Health Organisation's cancer research agency.

It is said that 13.3 million lives are at threat by 2030 which is nearly double the 7.6 million deaths from the illness in 2008. In accordance to the latest calculation tool by the International Agency for Research on Cancer predicts that in 2030, fresh cases of cancer would soar to 21.3 million, and approximately 13.3 million people would succumb from the disease.

The present data states that lung cancer was the most common type of cancer, while breast and colorectal cancer were the next in queue being the commonest form of illness in 2008.

Freddie Bray, a scientist who has done a study on 27 types of cancer, said that in 2008, 56 percent of the 12.7 million new cancer cases and 63 percent of 7.6 million cancer deaths occurred in developing countries. The countries suspected to have the maximum cases are China, India and the United States. In terms of proportion, North America, Western Europe and Australia had the highest mortality rates at present.

It is believed that the rise in number of cases is credited to tobacco consumption thus increasing the number of patients suffering from lung cancer.