UN Officials Forecast Major Spike In Global Cancer

Global cancer cases are expected to rise around 77 per cent by the middle of the century, UN health authorities said on Thursday, highlighting the growing burden of the disease. There are predicted to be more than 35 million cancer cases during 2050, up from the estimated 20 million in 2022, according to latest figures from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialized branch of the UN World Health Organization (WHO). The increase reflects both population ageing and growth, as well as changes to people’s exposure to risk factors. Tobacco, alcohol and obesity are key factors, along with air pollution. Varying patterns Richer countries are expected to have the greatest absolute increase in cancer, with an additional 4.8 million new cases predicted in 2050. However, low and middle-income countries should see a higher proportional increase in cancer, while mortality is projected to almost double. The estimates from the IARC’s Global Cancer Observatory are based on the best sources of data available from 185 countries and covers 36 different forms of cancer. They were published alongside a WHO survey from 115 countries which showed that the majority do not adequately finance priority cancer and palliative care services as...