The World Health Organization is warning that the global cancer burden is on track to soar, with annual cases projected to jump from about 20.6 million in 2024 to 35 million annually by 2050. A new WHO report says cases will climb roughly 67% worldwide, driven largely by aging populations and continued exposure to known risks like tobacco and alcohol, the Washington Post reports. Better detection is also catching more cases. While incidence is expected to rise in every region, the steepest increases are forecast for Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Survival odds, however, tell a stark story of inequality, the Washington Post reports. "Far too many people are being left behind," says Andre Ilbawi, the WHO team lead for cancer control. In wealthier countries, five-year survival for common cancers such as breast and prostate now approaches 80% to 90%, aided by improved screening and treatments like immunotherapy. In low-income nations, breast cancer survival can fall below 30%, and cervical cancer—almost eliminated in parts of Europe and North America—remains the leading cancer in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The report credits progress on tobacco control and HPV vaccination but flags unchecked obesity as an emerging driver of cancer.
- "It will be a significant added burden for every country globally when cancers associated with obesity become the norm," Ilbawi says. "That will likely happen in a significant number of countries in the next 20 or 30 years."
The WHO report found "persistent and widening" inequities in access to cancer prevention and treatment, with many patients worldwide forced to abandon treatment because of the cost, the Guardian reports. Isabelle Soerjomataram, deputy head of the International Agency for Research on Cancer's surveillance unit, says one positive finding was that "four in 10 new cancer cases are linked to risk factors which we already know how to address. This includes tobacco use, infections, alcohol use, and excess body weight."
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