Cancer Cases To Rise 77% By 2050: Experts Share Effective Ways To Reduce Your Risk

In its latest report on global cancer burden, the World Health Organization (WHO)’s cancer agency, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), predicts more than 35 million new cancer cases in 2025, which is a 77% increase from the estimated 20 million cases in 2022.

Although developing countries will see a higher number of new cancer cases, with an additional 4.8 million by 2050, the proportional increase will be much steeper in low- and middle-income countries, with a potential doubling of cancer cases and mortality compared to 2022.

The IARC estimates were based on the best sources of data available from 185 countries, highlighting the growing burden of cancer in developing nations and requiring urgent attention and resources to address this escalating public health challenge.

At the same time, the global WHO survey on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and cancer revealed that only 39% of participating countries (115) financially supported

Lung, Breast, And Colorectal Cancer Among The Biggest Concerns

The latest estimates from IARC’s Global Cancer Observatory cover 36 different forms of cancer, of which ten types collectively comprise around two-thirds of new cases and deaths globally in 2022.

While lung cancer was the most commonly occurring cancer worldwide, accounting for 12.4% of the total new cases, breast cancer was the second highest occurring cancer, with 2.3 million cases. This was followed by colorectal, prostate, and stomach cancer.

Colorectal cancer also ranks as the second-leading cause of cancer death, followed by liver, breast, and stomach cancer.