IF ANYONE knows the anguish cancer causes, it's Kay Wilson.

Last year Kay lost her husband Andy after a long battle with lung cancer.

With cancer now found to be officially the world's biggest killer after a World Cancer Report was released, Kay and other members of the Warwick Cancer Council are keen to do more to help find a cure.

Kay said for those living with cancer, the effects are different for everyone.

"It's very hard for everyone involved, especially the patient, but also their friends and family," she said.

"Everyone reacts differently to cancer so it's hard to give advice to those who are going through it.

"(Andy and I) were very fortunate to have a very good support group around us."

The report, released yesterday by the World Health Organisation, found the global burden of cancer reached 14 million new cases in 2012, a figure expected to rise to 22 million a year in the next 20 years.

The report also found 8.2 million people died of cancer in 2012 - 40,000 of those were Australians.

Kay said the Cancer Council would host their normal fundraisers throughout the year, however a new event would be held at the Warwick Golf Club in just a couple of weeks.

"We will be having a golf day and everyone is invited to come along," she said.

"It seems as the years go by raising money to find a cure is becoming more crucial."

The report updates the last global figures on the burden of cancer from six years ago, and paints a dire situation expected to evolve in the next two decades. It found the most common cancers in 2012 were lung (1.8 million), breast (1.7 million), and large bowel (1.4 million); while lung cancer was the biggest killer at 1.6 million deaths, or just under 20% of all cancer-related fatalities.

The rise in cancer in western countries, including Australia, was attributed largely to ageing populations and increasing screening numbers, but lifestyle was also a major factor.

Smoking, poor diet, alcohol consumption and inactive lifestyles in western and developing nations were key factors attributed to rising cancer rates across the globe.

The report found as many as 3.7 million cancer-related deaths could have been prevented by lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, cutting alcohol consumption and exercise.