CANCER CASES WOULD INCREASE BY 77% BY 2050 – WHO
Projections from the World Health Organization, WHO, show that there will be over 35 million new cases of cancer by 2050—a 77 percent increase over the projected 20 million cases in 2022.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the WHO, released a new report ahead of World Cancer Day on February 4 that examined the global burden of cancer in 115 countries. The IARC found that most nations do not sufficiently fund priority cancer and palliative care services as part of universal health coverage, UHC.
Deputy Head of the Cancer Surveillance Branch at IARC.Dr Isabelle Soerjomataram, noted, Women in lower HDI countries are 50 percent less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than women in high HDI countries, yet they are at a much higher risk of dying of the disease due to late diagnosis and inadequate access to quality treatment.
The survey said rapidly growing global cancer burden reflects both population ageing and growth, as well as changes to people’s exposure to risk factors, several of which are associated with socioeconomic development. Tobacco, alcohol and obesity are key factors behind the increasing incidence of cancer, with air pollution still a key driver of environmental risk factors.
The Head of the Cancer Surveillance Branch at IARC, Dr Freddie Bray, said, The impact of this increase will not be felt evenly across countries of different HDI levels. Those who have the fewest resources to manage their cancer burdens will bear the brunt of the global cancer burden.
