The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), has released an alarming estimate, predicting a 77 percent increase in global cancer cases by 2050.
This is as the international organisation projected the global cancer burden to soar to over 35 million new cases in 2050, attributing the increase to population, ageing, growth, and changes in risk factors.
The IARC, in a recent survey, highlighted the current cancer burden, inequities in cancer services, and the urgent need for worldwide efforts to address this escalating health crisis.
The Head of the Cancer Surveillance Branch at the IARC, Dr. Freddie Bray, warned of the uneven impact across countries, saying “those who have the fewest resources to manage their cancer burdens will bear the brunt of the global cancer burden.”
Also speaking, the Head of UICC (Union for International Cancer Control), Dr. Cary Adams, underscored the importance of political will in addressing these disparities and ensuring universal access to affordable, quality cancer services.
Persecondnews reports that in 2022, an estimated 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million deaths occurred globally, with lung, breast, and colorectal cancers ranking as the three major types.
The estimated number of people who were alive within five years following a cancer diagnosis was 53.5 million.
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