Book excerpt: There are more than 100 types of cancers In Part II, head and neck cancer is d- affecting all parts of the human body. cussed. The global number of annual new More than 11 million people are diagnosed cases of this malignancy is ~500,000. These with cancer every year, and it is estimated malignancies include oral squamous cell that there will be 16 million new cases by carcinoma, salivary gland tumors, tons- the year 2020. In 2005, 7. 6 million peo- lar cancer, tongue cancer, nasopharyngeal ple died of cancer, that is, 13% of the 58 carcinoma, and retinoblastoma, which are million deaths worldwide. It is estimated detailed. In Part III, diagnosis, therapy, and that 9 million people will die from can- prognosis of thyroid carcinoma are d- cer worldwide in 2015 and 11. 4 million cussed. The global number of new cases of will die in 2030. More than 70% of all thyroid cancer is ~141,000, and the number cancer deaths occur in low and middle of worldwide thyroid mortalities is ~35,375. income countries. These statistics underlie The number of new cases of this cancer in the fact that cancer is the deadliest of all the United States is ~33,550. Molecular human diseases. The enormity of the glo- genetics of thyroid cancer, gene expr- bal healthcare costs as a result of cancer sion markers for diagnosis, papillary t- cannot be overemphasized.