It is estimated that there will be 20 million new cancer patients in 2022, and it is predicted that by 2050, the number of new cancer patients will exceed 35 million.
According to projections by the World Health Organization’s cancer control agency, the number of new cancer cases worldwide is expected to reach 35 million in 2050, an increase of 77% from the 2022 figure.
a investigation A study conducted by WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) cited tobacco, alcohol, obesity and air pollution as the main drivers of the projected increase.
“More than 35 million new cancer cases are expected in 2050,” IARC said in a statement, a 77 percent increase from the approximately 20 million cases diagnosed in 2022.
“Certainly, the new estimates highlight the scale of cancer today, and indeed the growing burden of cancer projected for years and decades to come,” said Freddie, IARC’s head of cancer surveillance. Bray told Al Jazeera on Thursday.
IARC said in a statement accompanying its bi-annual report, which is based on data from 185 countries and 36 cancers, that there will be an estimated 9.7 million deaths from cancer in 2022.
It added that around one in five people will develop cancer in their lifetime, and one in nine men and one in 12 women will die from the disease.
“The rapid increase in the global cancer burden reflects both an aging and growing population, but also changes in people’s exposure to risk factors, some of which “It is related to socio-economic development. Tobacco, alcohol and obesity are the main drivers of increased cancer incidence, and air pollution remains the main environmental risk factor,” IARC said.
Burden on low income people
IARC also emphasized that the threat of cancer varies depending on where patients live.
The most developed countries are expected to see the biggest increase in infections, with an additional 4.8 million new infections expected in 2050 compared to 2022 estimates, the agency said.
However, in proportion terms, countries at the bottom of the Human Development Index (HDI), which is used by the United Nations as an indicator of socio-economic development, will see the largest proportionate increase, increasing by 142%.
Meanwhile, countries in the middle range are expected to record a 99% increase.
“One of the biggest challenges we are seeing is that the proportionate increase in cancer burden will be most pronounced in low-income countries, countries with low human development,” Bray told Al Jazeera. told.
“By 2050, the burden is expected to more than double.
“And these countries are currently ill-equipped to really deal with the cancer problem. And it’s going to get even bigger, and in the future we’re going to have even more patients admitted to specialized cancer hospitals.” .”
Bray said there are more than 100 types of cancer, but the top five cancers account for about 50 percent of cases.
“Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, especially in men, while breast cancer is certainly the most common cancer in women,” he said.
IARC also said that with changes in lifestyle, different types of cancer are adversely affecting people. For example, colorectal cancer is now the third most common cancer and second in terms of deaths. Colorectal cancer is particularly associated with age and lifestyle factors such as obesity, smoking, and alcohol use.
“There should be more investment in early diagnosis and screening.” [of cancers]. Bray said more investment should be made in disease prevention and palliative care for those suffering.