Cancer will be the leading cause of death, while fatalaties due to cardiovascular diseases will occupy the second place on the list of fatal ailments in Cuba this year, a media report said.

Luis Soriano, head of the oncology services at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Clinical Surgical Hospital in Havana, said people should change their lifestyle to minimise the risk for cancer.

For instance, smoking may lead to lung cancer, which is the main cause of the disease in Cuba and across the world, he added.

In addition, unhealthy diet, obesity, alcoholism or exposure to Human Papiloma Virus due to sexual promiscuity, among others, could lead to fatal diseases.

Last year, 21,200 people have died of cancer in Cuba, the newspaper said, citing a report by En Red, a science magazine.

In Havana, the mortality rate due to cardiovascular diseases was 131.9 deaths per every 100,000 inhabitants, while that of cancer was 129.5, it said.

Cuba's mortality rate due to cardiovascular diseases in 2008 was 199.6 deaths per every 100,000 people, 189 due to malignant tumors, and 82.3 due to cerebral-vascular diseases, the report said.

Source: IANS