Cancer cases could nearly double by 2050 without urgent action, warns WHO

The number of new cancer cases worldwide could rise to almost 35 million a year by 2050 unless countries take urgent action to strengthen prevention, early diagnosis and treatment, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on Wednesday.

That’s the headline stemming from a new report from the UN health agency highlighting stark inequalities in cancer survival between high and low-income countries.

The Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, produced with the International Agency for Research on Cancer — the IARC, a specialised WHO agency — outlines that cancer already causes more than 26,000 deaths every day, with an estimated 20.6 million new cases and nearly 10 million deaths annually, making it the world's second leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease.

The report warns that while progress has been made in tobacco control, vaccination and cancer prevention, millions of people continue to face major inequalities in access to life-saving care.

"Cancer is a deeply personal disease that touches nearly all of us. But whether a person survives cancer should never depend on where they were born or what they earn,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, adding that "the inequities documented in this report are not inevitable; they are the consequence of choices, and they can be reversed through stronger and unified action.

According to the report, survival rates differ sharply between rich and poor countries. While 87% of women diagnosed with breast cancer survive for at least five years in high-income countries, the figure falls to around 42% in low-income countries.

Fewer than one in three countries currently include cancer care within their universal health coverage packages, leaving many patients without access to essential diagnosis, treatment or supportive care.

WHO also highlighted the heavy social and economic burden of the disease. Its first global survey of people affected by cancer found that:

at least 45% experience financial hardship

more than half report mental health challenges

almost all caregivers face significant pressures, including unpaid care responsibilities and social isolation.

WHO estimates that nearly four in 10 cancer cases are linked to preventable risk factors, including tobacco use, alcohol consumption, obesity, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets and infections such as human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B and C.

WAM