WHO: Cancer Cases to Rise 77% by 2050

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Facts

  • According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer, new global cancer cases will reach 35M in the year 2050, which would be a 77% increase compared to 2022. The agency argues that tobacco, alcohol, obesity, and air pollution will be among the key causes of this increase.1
  • The report, which includes surveys of 115 countries, also found that most countries don't have sufficient cancer healthcare in place to tackle this problem. It claimed that 39% of countries don't cover basic cancer management and 28% don't cover palliative medicine.2
  • There are also disproportionate 'health benefit packages' between rich and poor countries. For example, the WHO said, 'Lung cancer-related services were reportedly 4-7 times more likely to be included' in high-income countries compared to low-income ones. Wealthier countries were also four times more likely to cover radiation treatment and 12 times more likely to offer stem-cell transplantation.3
  • Regarding differences in cancer rates between countries, the report said wealthier countries currently see one-in-12 people diagnosed with breast cancer and one-in-71 dying from it. In lower-income countries, the rate of diagnosis is one-in-27 while the death rate is one-in-48.4
  • The International Agency for Research on Cancer's figures show the global number of cases and deaths rose from 14.1M and 8.2M in 2012, respectively, to 20M new cases and 9.7M deaths 10 years later. The global health body projects that the number of cancer deaths in 2050 will rise to over 18M.5

Sources: 1Al Jazeera, 2CBS, 3WHO, 4Democracy Now and 5Guardian.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Harvard Gazette. The world needs to know about the causes of this startling increase in cancer diagnoses, particularly in those under 50. Studies in recent years have already shown that rates of numerous types of cancer have gone up dramatically over the last three decades. While drinking, smoking, obesity, and processed foods are clearly at fault, an increase in sleep deprivation among children could also be a cause.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Pennmedicine. Although it's important to publicize cancer causes and try to limit them, it's also significant to note that cancer mortality has decreased significantly. In the US, cancer mortality rates have dropped by 33% since their peak in 1991. This positive trend will only progress thanks to advances in technology and medicine. Cancer won't go away, but the ability to defeat it is growing stronger.