The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that annual cancer cases could reach nearly 35 million by 2050, up from an estimated 20.6 million new cases and 9.8 million deaths in 2024.

The projection comes from the Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, published on 8 July 2026 and developed jointly with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). It also records persistent and widening inequities in access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment and supportive care.

Nearly 35 Million Annual Cases Projected by 2050

WHO said cancer remains the second leading cause of death globally after cardiovascular disease, claiming more than 26,000 lives every day. In 2024, Asia accounted for 50.7% of cases and 56.5% of deaths, reflecting its population, while Europe, with about 9% of the world's population, contributed 21% of cases and 20% of deaths.

Lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer death. Lung, prostate and colorectal cancers are among the most common in men, while breast, lung and colorectal cancers account for a substantial share of the burden among women.

Nearly four in 10 cancer cases are linked to preventable risk factors, including infections such as HPV, hepatitis B and C and Helicobacter pylori, as well as alcohol, tobacco use, high body mass index and insufficient physical activity.

Dr Elisabete Weiderpass, IARC's director, said 'progress has been too slow' and that rising obesity, inactivity, unhealthy diets and air pollution increasingly drive the disease.

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Screening, Survival and Medicines Split Along Income Lines

In high-income countries, early detection programmes catch most breast cancers and 74% of women have been screened for cervical cancer. Five-year survival for women with breast cancer is 87% in high-income countries, compared with about 42% in low-income countries.

WHO said reported availability of the 20 priority cancer medicines ranged from 9% to 54% in low- and lower-middle-income countries, compared with 68% to 94% in high-income countries. Many countries in Africa and parts of Asia have lower incidence but disproportionately high mortality. Fewer than one in three countries include cancer care in their universal health coverage packages.

WHO's first survey of people affected by cancer found that at least 45% experience financial hardship and more than half report mental health challenges. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO's director-general, said the inequities are not inevitable but 'the consequence of choices'.

Seven Recommendations Aim To Close the Gap

The report sets out seven recommendations and three strategic shifts: better capabilities, better protections and better value. They include integrating cancer control into universal health coverage, investing in the workforce, strengthening social protection and ensuring equitable access to value-based advances in care.

Progress has been made. Some 82% of countries now have national cancer control plans, up from 50% in 2010, and tobacco use has fallen by 27% over the same period. Infection-related cancers are also decreasing, which WHO attributes to expanding vaccination coverage and improved water, sanitation and hygiene. Registered clinical trials increased by 7.3% a year between 2005 and 2021.

The estimates come from IARC's Global Cancer Observatory, which covers 36 cancer types across 186 countries and territories. They are projections, not fixed outcomes, and WHO says the result depends on whether governments make sustained investment and act on prevention, vaccination and access to care.

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