Cancer is a group of more than 100 different diseases. Cancer occurs when cells become abnormal and begin dividing and forming more cells without any control or order. A cancerous cell develops when it ceases to respond to growth-inhibiting signals and gains the ability to multiply uncontrollably. If the cells divide when new ones are not needed, they form a mass of excess tissue called a tumor. This tumor, in turn, can damage healthy tissue in its path.

In Belgium there are 49,832 new diagnoses of malignant tumors registered^* (in the year 2003) of which 26,782 in men (54%) and 23,050 in women (46%).
This makes it the number two cause of death for the whole population and the number one in the 40-60 age category.
Cancer occurs more in men (528 new diagnoses per 100,000 inhabitants per year) than in women (435 new diagnoses per 100,000 inhabitants per year).
One man in three and one woman in four will contract cancer before reaching the age of 75.

Bristol-Myers Squibb has extensive experience in the continuing development of new medication for cancer patients. Since the 1960s BMS has been developing medication for the treatment of cancer.

Source: Belgian Cancer Register
*: non-melanoma skin cancers are excluded from these statistics because it was impossible to standardize their registration modalities.