Rising Global Cancer Burden Exposes Gaps in Cancer Prevention, Care

Ayodeji Ake

The global cancer burden is continuing to rise, with 20.6 million new cases and 9.8 million cancer deaths estimated to have occurred worldwide in 2024, according to the latest figures released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

The new GLOBOCAN 2024 estimates, released yesterday through IARC’s Global Cancer Observatory, provide an updated picture of cancer incidence and mortality across countries, regions, age groups and sexes.

The figures show that about one in five people worldwide is expected to develop cancer during their lifetime.

Without significant improvements in prevention and treatment, the number of new cases is projected to reach 34 million annually by 2050, while cancer deaths could rise to 17.5 million.

IARC’s Head of the Cancer Surveillance Branch, Freddie Bray, said the scale of the challenge required urgent action.

“One in nine men and one in 13 women die from cancer,” Bray said, stating that differences in cancer types and the generally poorer prognosis of cancers affecting men contribute to the disparity.

The 2024 estimates also reveal significant geographical inequalities in the cancer burden. China alone accounts for approximately one in four cancer cases and one in four cancer deaths globally.

Europe, despite accounting for only 9.2 per cent of the world’s population, contributes more than 20 per cent of global cancer incidence.

Cancer incidence rates vary by as much as three-fold between countries, while mortality rates can differ by up to five-fold.

The highest incidence rates are recorded in countries including Australia and Denmark, while some of the lowest occur in parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

Mortality rates are particularly high in Eastern Europe and Melanesia, with some countries facing heavy burdens from specific cancers.

Liver cancer, for instance, remains a major concern in Mongolia, while cervical cancer contributes significantly to mortality in Zimbabwe.

According to Bray, the disparities reflect not only differences in cancer risk but also inequalities in prevention, early detection, diagnosis and access to effective treatment.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer incidence and mortality globally. It is the leading cause of cancer death in 89 countries, particularly among men.

Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, ranking first in 164 countries and serving as the leading cause of cancer death among women in 122 countries.

 Excluding China, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer across all levels of the Human Development Index.

Prostate cancer, meanwhile, is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in 123 countries, partly reflecting increased diagnostic testing.

The burden is particularly concerning in sub-Saharan Africa, where breast and cervical cancers together account for more than half of cancers among women.

Infection-related cancers are estimated to constitute about 80 per cent of preventable cancers in the region.

While some high-income countries have recorded declining cancer mortality because of improvements in prevention, early detection and treatment, cancer incidence continues to increase in most parts of the world.

Population ageing, tobacco use, and persistent inequalities in cancer control are expected to drive further increases.

“To simply maintain current numbers of cases and deaths, we would need a two per cent decline in both incidence and mortality every year – and we are nowhere near that,” Bray said.

IARC projects that annual cancer cases will increase by 67 per cent between 2024 and 2050, reaching 34 million, while deaths will rise by nearly 80 per cent to 17.5 million.

The agency also warned that efforts to tackle cancer were being undermined by weaknesses in cancer surveillance.

Only one in three countries currently provides high-quality cancer incidence data, while just one in four reports reliable mortality data.

IARC said GLOBOCAN estimates were produced using the best available information from population-based cancer registries and vital statistics systems worldwide.

The latest figures have renewed calls for governments to strengthen national cancer control programmes, expand prevention, and screening, improve early diagnosis, and ensure equitable access to treatment.

Union for International Cancer Control has stressed that many cancer deaths can be prevented through proven interventions, including tobacco control, vaccination, screening, early detection and access to effective treatment.

With cancer increasingly becoming a major cause of premature death worldwide, IARC said stronger surveillance systems and evidence-based interventions will be essential to reducing avoidable deaths and narrowing the deep inequalities in cancer outcomes.