The latest GLOBOCAN report has warned that the global cancer burden could increase significantly in the coming decades, with 20.6 million new cases and 9.8 million deaths recorded worldwide in 2024.
The report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC, the specialised cancer agency of the World Health Organisation, projects that annual cancer cases could reach 34 million by 2050 — a 67 per cent increase from 2024. Cancer-related deaths are also expected to rise to 17.5 million, nearly 80 per cent above the current figure.
The GLOBOCAN 2024 estimates, released as IARC marked its 60th anniversary, provide data on cancer incidence and deaths across countries, regions, age groups and sexes.
Of the 20.6 million new cases recorded in 2024, 10.6 million involved men and 10 million involved women. Men also accounted for 56 per cent of the 9.8 million cancer deaths, compared with 44 per cent for women.
Freddie Bray, Head of IARC’s Cancer Surveillance Branch, said the figures showed that men continue to experience a disproportionate impact from cancer.
He noted that one in nine men and one in 13 women die from cancer, attributing the difference partly to variations in cancer types and the generally poorer outcomes associated with cancers affecting men.
The report also highlighted major geographical differences in cancer rates, influenced by population growth, ageing, exposure to risk factors and unequal access to prevention and healthcare.
China accounts for roughly one-quarter of cancer cases and deaths globally, while Europe, despite having only 9.2 per cent of the world’s population, records more than 20 per cent of global cancer cases.
According to IARC, standardised cancer incidence rates differ by as much as three times between countries, while mortality rates can vary by up to five times.
Countries including Australia and Denmark recorded some of the highest cancer incidence rates, while some of the lowest rates were reported in parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
Cancer mortality was particularly high in Eastern Europe and Melanesia. Some countries also recorded exceptionally high rates of specific cancers, including liver cancer in Mongolia and cervical cancer in Zimbabwe.
Bray said these differences were linked not only to the likelihood of developing cancer but also to inequalities in screening, early diagnosis and access to effective treatment.
He warned that keeping cancer cases and deaths at current levels would require a two per cent annual reduction in both incidence and mortality — a target he said the world is far from achieving.
Lung cancer remains the world’s leading cancer in terms of both new cases and deaths. It is the biggest cause of cancer deaths in 89 countries, particularly among men.
Breast cancer remains among the most frequently diagnosed cancers globally and, outside China, ranks as the most commonly diagnosed cancer across all levels of the Human Development Index.
Among women, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in 164 countries and the leading cause of cancer deaths in 122 countries.
Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among men in 123 countries, with increased diagnostic testing contributing partly to the trend.
IARC said cancer patterns are increasingly influenced by gender, economic development, ageing populations and infections. In sub-Saharan Africa, breast and cervical cancers account for more than half of all cancers among women, while infection-related cancers make up about 80 per cent of preventable cancers in the region.
The agency warned that continued tobacco use, ageing populations and persistent inequalities in cancer prevention and treatment could further drive up cancer cases and deaths.
Although cancer mortality has started declining in some high-income countries due to prevention efforts, earlier diagnosis and improved treatment, the incidence of cancer continues to increase in most parts of the world.
IARC also identified inadequate cancer data as a major challenge to the global response. Only one in three countries currently provides high-quality cancer incidence data, while just one in four has reliable mortality figures.
The agency said these data gaps make it harder for governments to determine the scale of the problem, plan healthcare services, allocate resources and measure the effectiveness of cancer interventions.
The Union for International Cancer Control, UICC, said the findings highlight the need for countries to strengthen national cancer control strategies and increase investment in prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment.
The organisation noted that about half of cancer deaths are potentially preventable through established measures such as tobacco control, vaccination, screening and equitable access to effective treatment.
Meanwhile, the WHO’s Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, which also draws on GLOBOCAN 2024 data, found that progress in tackling the disease remains uneven worldwide.
The report pointed to continuing gaps in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, as well as health-system challenges that delay access to timely care in many countries. It also highlighted the financial burden of cancer on patients and families, particularly when diagnosis comes at a late stage.
The latest projections indicate that without stronger efforts to reduce cancer incidence and deaths, the number of people affected by the disease is likely to increase substantially over the next three decades.
