WHO warns global cancer cases could nearly double by 2050 without urgent action
The report says nearly half of cancer deaths are tied to preventable risks and warns that cases are rising fastest in lower-income countries.
- Global cancer cases reached 18.5 million in 2023, while annual deaths hit 10.4 million, according to a GBD 2023 Cancer Collaborators report in The Lancet.
- Population growth and aging drive the projected 75% rise in annual cancer deaths by 2050, while 44 modifiable risks including tobacco and obesity contribute to over 40% of cases.
- Low- and middle-income countries face the steepest increases in cancer cases, with breast cancer survival dropping below 30% compared to 85% in high-income countries.
- WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated cancer inequities are "consequence of choices" that can be reversed through unified action, as experts urge governments to prioritize funding.
- Current trends fall short of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal to cut premature deaths by one-third by 2030, and projections exclude potential shocks like COVID-19.
58 Articles
58 Articles
One in five people will develop cancer in their lifetime, report finds
New findings in a report led by the American Cancer Society (ACS) reveal an urgent picture of a growing global cancer burden and underscore the lifesaving potential of stronger prevention and equitable access to care. According to Global Cancer Statistics, 2026, nearly 21 million people were diagnosed with cancer and 9.8 million died from the disease globally in 2024. The estimates show about 1 in 5 people worldwide will develop cancer during th…
Greece's Cancer Death Toll Could Hit 40,000 a Year by 2050
Cancer cell migrating through a blood vessel. Credit: Annie Cavanagh / CC BY-NC 4.0 Greece’s cancer death toll is projected to climb sharply over the next 25 years, according to new projections from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Cancer deaths in the country could rise from about 32,000 in 2024 to nearly 40,000 by 2050. That marks an increase of almost 25 percent. Lung cancer remains the deadliest form in Greece today. I…
A new United Nations report shows a gloomy picture of the fight against cancer: the number of annual diagnoses will increase dramatically, warns the WHO. The chances of survival depend mainly on the place of residence and income.
The body estimates that the new diagnoses will go from 20.6 million a year to about 35 million in the next decades
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