The global burden of cancer is projected to increase sharply by 2050, with new cases expected to rise by 67 per cent, according to the latest GLOBOCAN report.
The report, released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialised cancer agency of the World Health Organisation (WHO), also highlighted significant inequalities in cancer prevention, early detection, treatment and surveillance across the world.
The report recorded 20.6 million new cancer cases and 9.8 million cancer-related deaths globally in 2024.
According to the latest estimates, the number of new cancer cases annually could rise to 34 million by 2050, representing a 67 per cent increase from the 2024 figure.
Annual cancer deaths are also projected to reach 17.5 million by 2050, an increase of nearly 80 per cent.
Released to mark IARC’s 60th anniversary, the GLOBOCAN 2024 report provides an assessment of cancer incidence and mortality across countries, regions, age groups and sexes.
Of the 20.6 million new cancer cases recorded in 2024, men accounted for 10.6 million, while women accounted for 10 million.
Men also accounted for 56 per cent of the 9.8 million cancer deaths, compared with 44 per cent recorded among women.
The report said one in nine men and one in 13 women died from cancer, reflecting the disproportionate impact of the disease on men.
It attributed the disparity partly to differences in the types of cancers affecting men and women, as well as generally poorer prognoses for cancers predominantly affecting men.
The report also identified significant geographical disparities in cancer incidence and mortality, driven by population size, ageing, exposure to risk factors and unequal access to healthcare services.
China accounts for approximately one in four cancer cases and one in four cancer deaths worldwide.
Europe, despite accounting for 9.2 per cent of the global population, represents more than 20 per cent of global cancer cases.
According to the report, standardised cancer incidence rates vary by as much as threefold between countries, while mortality rates differ by up to fivefold.
The highest incidence rates were recorded in countries including Australia and Denmark, while some of the lowest rates were observed in parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
However, mortality rates were highest in Eastern Europe and Melanesia, with Mongolia recording a particularly high burden of liver cancer and Zimbabwe facing a major burden of cervical cancer.
The report said the disparities reflected differences not only in the risk of developing cancer but also in access to early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment.
It added that maintaining current absolute numbers of cancer cases and deaths would require a two per cent annual decline in both incidence and mortality, a target current global trends are far from achieving.
Lung cancer remained the leading cause of both cancer incidence and mortality globally and was the leading cause of cancer death in 89 countries, particularly among men.
Breast cancer remained one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers worldwide and, excluding China, was the most commonly diagnosed cancer across all levels of the Human Development Index.
Among women, breast cancer was the most frequently diagnosed cancer in 164 countries and the leading cause of cancer death in 122 countries.
Prostate cancer was the most common cancer diagnosis among men in 123 countries, partly driven by increased diagnostic testing.
The report said global cancer patterns were increasingly shaped by sex, economic development, population ageing and infections.
In sub-Saharan Africa, breast and cervical cancers combined account for more than half of all cancers diagnosed among women.
It added that infection-related cancers account for about 80 per cent of preventable cancer cases in the region.
The report warned that continued tobacco use, population ageing and structural inequalities in cancer control could further drive increases in cancer incidence and deaths.
While cancer mortality rates have declined in some high-income countries due to targeted prevention, earlier detection and improved treatment, overall incidence continues to rise in most parts of the world.
The report also identified major gaps in global cancer data collection, noting that only one in three countries currently reports high-quality cancer incidence data, while only one in four maintains reliable cancer mortality data.
