The latest estimates released on Thursday by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, predict a 77% global increase in new cancer cases in 2050, up from the 20 million estimated in 2022.
As a result, the number of cancer deaths worldwide is expected to double by 2050 to an estimated 18.5 million compared to 9.7 million in 2022.
The estimated number of cancer cases in Asia, which had the most in the world at more than 9.8 million in 2022, is expected to increase 77% in 2050 to total 17.4 million cases.
Researchers attribute the expected rise in cancer cases to several risk factors.
As the likelihood of cancer increases with age, projected growth in the world’s elderly population is likely to lead to a rise in cancer cases, according to the report.
Organizations:
World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research, Cancer, United Nations
Locations:
Africa, Asia