Havana, Aug 3 (Prensa Latina) 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.

The expected rise in cancer deaths is due to risky lifestyle behaviours as well as the existence of better diagnostic tools for the disease, as doctors will be able to detect cases that were earlier not possible, the Juventud Rebelde newspaper reported Sunday.

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.