Global cancer cases to hit 35m by 2050

GENEVA, Feb 3, (KUNA): The World Health Organization (WHO)’s cancer agency and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have expected a surge in the global cancer burden with the potential for over 35 million new cases in 2050 marking a 77 percent increase compared to 2022.

This came in a joint report issued Thursday on the occasion of World Cancer Day corresponding to the fourth of February in which it warned that cancer cases have reached 20 million new cases resulting in 9.7 million deaths worldwide during the year 2022.

The report disclosed that approximately one in five individuals would develop cancer in their lifetime. Additionally it anticipated that one in every nine men and one in every 12 women would succumb to the disease underscoring the urgent need to enhance efforts in cancer prevention early detection and treatment.

Furthermore the report confirmed that the World Health Organization had conducted a survey in 115 countries. Upon publishing its findings it warned of a significant gap in financing cancer services and prioritizing therapeutic care a crucial element of universal health coverage.

Only 39 percent of the participating countries had allocated funds for cancer treatment in their basic health services and a mere 28 percent covered curative care indicating a substantial deficiency in comprehensive cancer care.

“This underscores the urgent need for increased investments to reduce global inequality in access to treatment,” the two agencies stated.

The report highlighted also that lung breast and colorectal cancers as the most prevalent types in 2022 constituting two-thirds of new cases and deaths globally.

Lung cancer ranked highest with 2.5 million new cases and 1.9 million deaths followed by breast cancer in women with 2.3 million new cases and colorectal cancer with 1.9 million cases.

The findings revealed variations based on the development index among countries.

“Women in countries with a low human development index were 50 percent less likely to develop breast cancer compared to those in high human development index countries. Despite lower infection rates the risk of death in these countries was significantly higher due to late diagnosis and inadequate access to quality treatment,” reads the report.