World Cancer Day: How the global cancer burden is rising rapidly

Cancer remains one of the world’s biggest killers, with nearly 10 million deaths and 20 million new cases in 2022. The data was revealed in a World Health Organisation report. The World Health Organisation’s cancer agency predicts that the number of new cancer cases will increase by 77 per cent by 2050. Cancer cases are expected to exceed 35 million by 2050, up from an estimated 20 million in 2022, says the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Tobacco, alcohol, obesity, and air pollution remain major contributors to the rise. “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,” IARC’s statement said. Here are five key facts about the disease on World Cancer Day: One in five people Cancer — a disease that causes abnormal cells to multiply and spread — affects humans and virtually all other animal species, with traces found in human skeletons dating from prehistoric times. There are more than 100 types of cancer, each with its own diagnosis and treatment. Around one in nine men and one in 12 women will die from cancer. An estimated 9.74 million people died from cancer in 2022 and 19.96 million new cases were recorded, according to a report by the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) published on Thursday. On average, one person in five will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime, with the number of global cases growing by over 25 per cent between 2009 and 2019, according to the US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. The IARC predicted the number of new cases of cancer recorded in the year 2040 would be 50 per cent higher than the 19.96 million recorded in 2022. In 2050, the number is predicted to be 77 per cent higher than in 2022. “There is a large increase in the cancer burden,” said Dr Freddie Bray, head of the IARC’s cancer surveillance unit. Lung, breast, colon most common The three most common cancers are lung cancer (12.4 per cent of new cases in 2022), breast cancer (11.6 per cent) and colon cancer (9.6 per cent). [caption id=“attachment_13681432” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The number of new cancer cases will rise to more than 35 million in 2050 — 77 per cent higher than the figure in 2022, the World Health Organisation’s cancer agency warned Thursday. Image used for representational purpose/Pixabay[/caption] In terms of deaths, lung cancer is by far the deadliest, accounting for 18.7 per cent of deaths, ahead of colon cancer (9.3 per cent), liver cancer (7.8 per cent) and breast cancer (6.9 per cent). Poorer countries to see largest increase The most developed countries are expected to see the greatest increase in case numbers, with an additional 4.8 million new cases predicted in 2050 compared to 2022 estimates, according to the WHO. However, in terms of percentages, countries at the bottom of the UN’s Human Development Index (HDI) will see the greatest proportional increase—up 142 per cent. According to the report, countries in the medium range will see a 99 per cent increase. “Likewise, cancer mortality in these countries is projected to almost double in 2050,” the World Health Organisation (WHO) said. Freddie Bray, head of the cancer surveillance branch at IARC, said: “The impact of this increase will not be felt evenly across countries of different HDI levels. “Those who have the fewest resources to manage their cancer burdens will bear the brunt of the global cancer burden.” Europe disproportionately hit Around half of the new cases in 2022 were in Asia, which is home to more than half the world’s population. What is more surprising is that Europe, including Russia, accounted for a quarter of all the new cases, although it represents under 10 per cent of Earth’s inhabitants. “Many countries in Europe have among the highest incidence rates of common cancers worldwide such as prostate and female breast,” Bray told AFP. [caption id=“attachment_13681462” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) cited tobacco, alcohol, obesity and air pollution as key factors in the estimated rise. Image used for representational purpose/Pixabay[/caption] By contrast, fewer than six per cent of cancer cases in 2022 were in Africa, home to one in five people but which has the youngest population in the world. Africa’s youthfulness can explain the low prevalence of many types of cancer, apart from cervical cancer, where is particularly prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. Age a big factor Three-quarters of all the new cancer cases in 2022 were among people aged over 55. Under-29s accounted for fewer than three per cent of the cases despite accounting for nearly 50 per cent of the world’s population. The risk of cancer rises steeply as people age because cells in the body become damaged over time and start to behave differently, leading in some cases to cancer. Some of the damage happens by chance but some is caused by external factors such as drinking, smoking and exposure to UV radiation. Men more at risk Cancer kills more men than women, with men accounting for 56 out of every 100 cancer deaths, compared to 44 for women. The fact that men are bigger smokers, which makes them more at risk of lung cancer — the deadliest of all cancer types — is chiefly blamed for the disparity. But women “endure almost the same burden of cancer overall and disproportionately so at younger ages”, Bray told AFP. With inputs from AFP