World Cancer Day: Global Cases May Hit 35 Million By 2050 – WHO

As nations across the globe commemorate this year’s World Cancer Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has released statistics about the disease.

World Cancer Day is observed on February 4 every year. The day aims to promote awareness about cancer. It also helps to strengthen actions that strive to improve cancer care, detection, preventive measures and treatment.

The theme for World Cancer Day 2024 is ‘Close the care gap: Everyone deserves access to cancer care.’ It is a part of a 3-year long campaign from 2022 to 2024.

However, WHO, in a statement, said the number of new cancer cases globally will reach 35 million by 2050, 77 per cent higher than the figure in 2022, noting that there were an estimated 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million deaths in 2022.

The new disease estimates, WHO said, were based on a survey conducted by its cancer arm – the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) – linking the development to certain factors.

“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 research findings show.

WHO said it also published survey results from 115 countries, showing a majority of countries do not adequately finance priority cancer and palliative care services, as part of universal health coverage (UHC).

“The estimated number of people who were alive within five years following a cancer diagnosis was 53.5 million. About one in five people develop cancer in their lifetime, approximately one in nine men and one in 12 women die from the diseases, ” it noted.

Statistics

The IARC’s global cancer observatory covering 185 countries and 36 types of cancer, shows that 10 types of cancer accounted for about two-thirds of new cases and deaths globally in 2022.

According to the data, lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, accounting for 12.4 per cent of new cases and 18.7 per cent of deaths, followed by female breast cancer accounting for 11.6 per cent of cases and seven per cent of deaths.

Other major causes of death according to the research include bowel liver and stomach cancer.

Despite being entirely preventable, cervical cancer is the eighth most common cancer globally and the ninth biggest cause of cancer death, accounting for 661,044 new cases and 348,186 deaths. “It is the most common cancer in women in 25 countries, many of which are in sub-Saharan Africa.”

“WHO’s new global survey shed light on major inequalities and lack of financial protection for cancer around the world, with population, especially in lower-income countries, unable to access the basics of cancer care, ” the WHO’s Director of the Department of Noncommunicable Disease, Bente Mikkelson, was quoted to have said.

Burden

IARC revealed that there are disparities in the cancer burden according to human advancements.

It noted that countries with a high Human Development Index (HDI) are at lower risk of being diagnosed with cancer while countries with a low HDI are at higher risk and they are at much higher risk of dying of the disease.

WHO’s global survey indicated a significant global disparity in cancer services.

It stated that “major inequalities and lack of financial protection for cancer around the world, with populations, especially in lower-income countries, unable to access the basics of cancer care.”

Also, the head of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), Cary Adams, observed that despite the progress that has been made in the early detection of cancers and the treatment of cancer patients, “significant disparities in cancer treatment outcomes exist not only between high and low-income regions of the world but also within countries.”