Cancer cases are set to surge by 2050—nearly half may be preventable

A new analysis from the American Cancer Society and the WHO's cancer research arm projects global cancer cases climbing from roughly 21 million in 2024 to about 34 million by 2050, a 67 percent jump driven mainly by population growth and aging.

Researchers estimate one in five people will develop cancer in their lifetime, and lung cancer remains the top killer worldwide, followed by breast and colorectal cancers. Incidence rates vary four- to fivefold between regions, with Australia and New Zealand highest and parts of Africa and South-Central Asia lowest.

The same report found 48 percent of cancer deaths could be prevented through tobacco cessation, vaccination, and screening, prompting researchers and physicians to stress that existing tools, not new breakthroughs, could blunt much of the coming surge.

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