A surge in cancer cases is expected to hit the world by 2050, increasing by 77 percent between now and then, according to a new study.
About 20 million cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2022, but that number is projected to rise to more than 35 million cases by 2050, thanks in part to rising rates of obesity and junk food diets.
Cancer death rates have trended downward in recent years, but as the population grows and ages, deaths are likely to increase as well. In 2022, 9.7 million people died from cancer.
The increase is due in part to a mysterious rise in cancers among young people that is affecting dozens of countries around the world.
Around 20 million cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2022, but that number is expected to increase to more than 35 million cases by 2050.
The above shows the most common type of cancer in each country.
The main types of cancer were lung cancer, breast cancer in women, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer and stomach cancer.
Cancer rates in the United States are following the same trajectory, particularly when it comes to colorectal cancers. Meanwhile, deaths have been trending downward.
For the new report, doctors affiliated with the American Cancer Society used the World Cancer Observatory database to examine cancer data from 2022, the last year for which data was available.
They covered 36 types of cancer in 185 countries or territories around the world. The study looked at the top ten types of cancer in 20 different areas using figures such as age-adjusted rates and cumulative risk.
Obesity, alcohol and tobacco use are increasing around the world, and the United States is no exception. But better screening, such as mammograms, is also thought to be increasing rates because more cases are being identified.
The study also examines the Human Development Index (HDI) to understand how the burden of cancer varies depending on a country’s level of development. Using demographic trends, predict future cancer rates by 2050.
Dr. Karen E. Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society, said, “Understanding the global burden of cancer is critical to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to prevent, detect, treat and survive cancer.”
“These data provide insights into trends and potential areas for intervention and can help prioritize discovery efforts around the world. By funding research, advocating for change, and directly supporting patients, together we can make a lasting impact on the more than 200 diseases we call cancer.’
Lung cancer was the most frequently diagnosed cancer in 2022, responsible for nearly 2.5 million new cases, or one in eight cancers worldwide (12.4 percent of all cancers globally), followed by female breast (11.6 percent), colorectal (9.6 percent) cancers. ), prostate (7.3 percent) and stomach (4.9 percent).
Colorectal cancer has been in the news in the last year as it has skyrocketed in people under the age of 50, an issue of great concern given that most cancers are more common among older people. Nearly 18,000 cases are diagnosed among this age group in the U.S. each year, compared to 12,000 per year before 2000.
There is also some evidence to suggest that the increase in colorectal cancers could be related to pathogenic fungi.
Dr Hyuna Sung, co-author of the report, said: “This increase in projected cancer cases by 2050 is solely due to population aging and growth, assuming current incidence rates remain unchanged.”
“In particular, the prevalence of important risk factors, such as consumption of an unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking, are increasing in many parts of the world and will likely exacerbate the future burden of cancer, unless large-scale interventions are carried out.
About 50 percent of cancers are preventable. For example, eliminating tobacco use could prevent a quarter of cancer deaths, while a healthy diet, physical activity, limiting sun exposure and avoiding excessive alcohol consumption make a big difference.
The global population is expected to grow from about 8 billion people in 2022 to 9.7 billion in 2050. The report’s authors warned that if there is an increase in tobacco use, obesity rates and other risk factors of cancer among more people, particularly in low-income countries, the expected number of cancer cases may increase further.
In 2022, global data indicates that lung cancer topped the list as the most commonly diagnosed cancer, with nearly 2.5 million new cases and more than 1.8 million deaths reported.
Additionally, the report highlights that the top 10 types of cancer, which affect both men and women, contributed to more than 60 percent of newly diagnosed cases and cancer-related deaths.
Dr Ahmedin Jemal, lead author of the study, said: “Given that more than half of cancer deaths worldwide are potentially preventable, prevention offers the most cost-effective and sustainable strategy for cancer control.”
“Eliminating tobacco use alone could prevent 1 in 4 cancer deaths or approximately 2.6 million cancer deaths per year.”
Their findings were published in the journal CA: A cancer magazine for doctors.