WHO forecasts 35 million new cancer cases worldwide by 2050
The International Agency for Research Cancer (IARC), an arm of the World Health Organization, has forecasted that cancer diagnoses will exponentially increase to 35 million worldwide by 2050.
The figures signify a 77% increase from figures reported in 2022. This was the highlight of a report presented on February 2.
“Over 35 million new cancer cases are predicted in 2050, a 77% increase from the estimated 20 million cases in 2022. The rapidly growing global cancer burden reflects both population ageing and growth as well as changes to people’s exposure to risk factors, several of which are associated with socioeconomic development. Tobacco, alcohol, and obesity are key factors behind the increasing incidence of cancer, with air pollution still a key driver of environmental risk factors,” the report read in part.
The research report further indicated that lung cancer emerged as the most prevalent form of cancer globally in 2022, accounting for 2.5 million cases, which represents 12.4% of the total cancer cases reported.
Following this, the most common types further reported were female breast cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, and stomach cancer. Lung cancer also claimed the highest number of lives among all cancer types, causing 1.8 million deaths, constituting almost 19% of the total cancer-related deaths.
The report further cites that the projected increase in cancer is attributed to various factors, including obesity, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and environmental factors such as air pollution.
