WHO’s Expectation for 2050: 77 Percent Increase in Cancer Cases
According to a projection prepared by the World Health Organization’s cancer agency, there will be more than 35 million new cancer cases by 2050, representing a 77 percent increase compared to 2022
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization (WHO), announced that there will be a 77 percent increase in cancer cases by 2050 according to its global cancer projection.
IARC, affiliated with WHO, has released its latest estimates on the global burden of cancer.
The IARC estimates, based on the best available data sources in countries for the year 2022, were said to highlight the increasing burden of cancer, the disproportionate impact on underserved populations, and the urgent need to address cancer inequalities worldwide.
Accordingly, an estimated 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million deaths related to cancer occurred in 2022.
WHO, in its statement based on IARC’s estimates, stated, “With 2.5 million new cases, lung cancer became the most common cancer worldwide, accounting for 12.4 percent of all new cases. Breast cancer in women ranked second (2.3 million cases, 11.6 percent), followed by colorectal (colon) cancer (1.9 million cases, 9.6 percent), prostate cancer (1.5 million cases, 7.3 percent), and stomach cancer (970,000 cases, 4.9 percent).”
WHO also noted that lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths, followed by colorectal cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, and stomach cancer. It was stated that breast cancer is the most common cancer in women based on gender-specific data, while lung cancer is the most common cancer in men.
PROGRESS YET LOW INCOME AFFECTS TREATMENT OUTCOME
IARC emphasized that there will be more than 35 million new cancer cases by 2050, indicating a 77 percent increase compared to 2022. The statement, which included remarks from Dr. Cary Adams, President of the Union for International Cancer Control, stated, “Despite progress in early diagnosis of cancer and in the treatment and care of cancer patients, significant inequalities exist not only between high- and low-income regions of the world but also between countries.”
