Study Shows Global Cancer Deaths Projected to Rise by 2050

(MENAFN) The worldwide number of deaths caused by cancer is expected to increase dramatically, nearing a 75% surge by the year 2050, with fatalities projected to hit 18.6 million.

This sharp rise is largely attributed to expanding populations and increasing life expectancy, according to research published on Thursday in The Lancet.

More than half of all new cancer diagnoses and approximately two-thirds of related deaths are anticipated to occur in low- and middle-income nations, as stated in the most recent findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study Cancer Collaborators.

These areas are forecasted to bear the brunt of the growing burden.

“Cancer remains an important contributor to disease burden globally and our study highlights how it is anticipated to grow substantially over the coming decades, with disproportionate growth in countries with limited resources,” explained lead researcher Dr. Lisa Force from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), affiliated with the University of Washington.

The IHME, located in Seattle, spearheads this continuous investigation, which is based on records from cancer registries and interviews with caregivers, with data tracing back to 1990.

Over the span from 1990 to 2023, the number of annual new cancer diagnoses more than doubled, reaching 18.5 million cases globally—a pattern that is expected to persist.

Tobacco use, especially among men, continues to be the most significant contributor to cancer-related deaths, accounting for around 21% of all such fatalities in 2023.

In the majority of countries, it was identified as the primary risk element, although in poorer nations, "unsafe sex"—which leads to infections such as human papillomavirus (HPV)—was the leading cause.

For men, other prominent risks included alcohol use, poor nutrition, harmful workplace exposures, and polluted air.

In contrast, key contributing factors for women were excess body weight and elevated blood sugar levels.

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