Global Cancer Cases May Double By 2050, WHO Report Says – But It Doesn't Need To Be Inevitable

Every year, millions of people across the world have to contend with cancer and the multiple ways that it interferes with and diminishes life. Not only does cancer kill, it also exacts a heavy financial and emotional cost on both those who are diagnosed with it and their loved ones.

Although we tend to talk about cancer as a single entity, it is actually made up of over 200 diseases. It is the second most common cause of death after cardiovascular disease. In 2024 alone, nearly 10 million people were killed by the disease, which amounts to around one in six deaths.

Of the various forms of cancer, lung, breast and colorectal cancer are the most numerous. 

Traditionally, cancer was associated with aging, with older people being more likely to develop it later in life. Effectively, the accumulation of genetic mutations across a lifetime, as well as prolonged exposure to carcinogens and having a weakening immune system, made the chances of developing cancer more likely.

At the same time, important lifestyle factors, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, weight, exercise, and diet, all contribute to a person’s likelihood of getting cancer.

However, in recent years, scientists have become aware that more younger people are developing the disease as well. Although researchers are still trying to understand the causes for this trend, one possible explanation is that younger generations are aging quicker than their predecessors. 

By this, we don’t mean that time is working on them differently, but rather that they are aging biologically faster – a measure of how much wear and tear the body has experienced compared to what is expected for someone's chronological age (the number of years they’ve been alive).

Earlier this month, the WHO released its new Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, which it developed with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). This comprehensive analysis offers a stark picture for the decades ahead. Although medical science has developed increasingly sophisticated ways to treat cancer, global cases are expected to nearly double by the middle of the century.

The report shows that over 26,000 lives are lost every day due to cancer. The experts involved in the report estimate that around 20.6 million new cases occur each year, resulting in nearly 10 million deaths annually. They add that, without urgent effort, this figure could rise to 35 million cases every year by 2050.

Not everyone is affected equally.

Although improvements in treatment options have been accompanied by important changes in political commitment and cancer prevention strategies – such as targeting tobacco use and also encouraging vaccine programs – more is needed.

This is because there are considerable inequalities in access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment and supportive care in different regions and countries. This leaves millions of people without the vital services they require.

To put this in perspective, they show that 87 percent of women with breast cancer in high-income countries tend to survive five years after their diagnosis. In contrast, only 42 percent of the same demographic survive five years in low-income countries. Unfortunately, only one in three countries currently have cancer care as part of their universal health coverage packages.

"Cancer is a deeply personal disease that touches nearly all of us. But whether a person survives cancer should never depend on where they were born or what they earn,” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus explained in a statement.

“The inequities documented in this report are not inevitable; they are the consequence of choices, and they can be reversed through stronger and unified action."

At present, cancer’s impacts vary across regions. For instance, in 2024, the largest share of cancer cases (50.7 percent) and deaths (56.5 percent) occurred in Asia. This reflects its larger population. In comparison, Europe had a disproportionately high burden, amounting to 21 percent of global cases and 20 percent of annual deaths despite accounting for only 9 percent of the globe’s population.

Africa and some parts of Asia have lower cases of cancer, but disproportionately higher rates of death.

The report also showed that four in 10 cases across the world are connected to preventable risk factors. In addition to cancers related to the lifestyle factors mentioned above, other preventable ones include infections like human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B and C, and helicobacter pylori – a bacterium that causes common stomach infections.

"While we are seeing reductions in some cancer rates in countries that have implemented prevention policies, progress has been too slow," Dr Elisabete Weiderpass, Director of WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), added.

"The cancer profile is evolving, increasingly driven by rising rates of obesity, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, and air pollution. Cancer prevention must remain a political priority."

One step forward, but many more needed

Over the last few decades, there have been significant improvements across multiple fronts. Firstly, tobacco use has declined by 27 percent since 2010 – this has helped lower cases of lung cancer and associated deaths across some regions. Vaccination initiatives have also helped curb some of the infection-related cancers, as have improved sanitation and hygiene measures.

Political will has also been strengthened, resulting in 82 percent of countries implementing national cancer control plans. This has risen from only 50 percent of countries having such plans in 2010. 

In high-income countries, screening programs can catch breast cancer cases earlier, with 74 percent of women also having been screened for cervical cancer.

Despite this, these advances are not keeping pace with the rise in cancer numbers. Vital medicines remain unavailable for many people. In fact, the top 20 priority cancer medicines are only available to between around 9 and 54 percent in low- and lower-to-middle-income countries. This is in contrast to 68 percent to 94 percent availability in high-income countries.

“Cancer is not just a medical diagnosis – it profoundly, indefinitely affects every aspect of a person’s life, and their family's as well,” Clarissa Schilstra, a childhood cancer survivor and a lead of the WHO's survey, explained.

“We urge policymakers to meaningfully engage with people affected by cancer. By voicing our lived experiences, we can inform more equitable, effective solutions to protect and promote the lives and wellbeing of future generations.”

As disturbing as these findings are, none of this has to remain the case. Nor does the road ahead have to be as bleak as it is projected to be. Real, achievable change is possible. The WHO has called on governments, international organizations, civil society, academics and even the private sector to come together to deliver a broader, holistic and ultimately people-centered approach to future care.

Key recommendations include:

• Efforts to integrate cancer control programs into universal health coverage and to invest in meaningful skills and knowledge to help prevent and control cases.
• Position people with lived experience of cancer at the heart of cancer systems, while also strengthening social protections.
• Ensure equitable access to tried and tested care treatments while also aligning research and innovation with public health needs.

If we can adopt these measures, they say, then it is possible to make strategic and sustained improvements that may yet change this trajectory.

The full report can be found here.