WHO Warns Global Cancer Cases Could Nearly Double by 2050 Without Urgent Action
WHO Warns Global Cancer Cases Could Nearly Double by 2050 Without Urgent Action
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The World Health Organization has warned that annual global cancer cases could rise to nearly 35 million by 2050 unless governments take urgent action to strengthen prevention, expand access to treatment, and address widening inequalities in cancer care.
The warning came in the WHO’s Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, produced jointly with the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The report said cancer remains the world’s second leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease, with an estimated 20.6 million new cases and nearly 10 million deaths each year.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said cancer affects nearly everyone, but survival should not depend on a person’s birthplace or income. He said the inequalities documented in the report are not inevitable and can be reversed through stronger and coordinated action.
The report highlighted major disparities in survival rates. It found that 87 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer survive at least five years in high-income countries, compared with about 42 percent in low-income countries. It also said fewer than one-third of countries include cancer care in their universal health coverage packages.
WHO’s first global survey of people affected by cancer found that at least 45 percent face financial hardship, more than half report mental health challenges, and nearly all caregivers experience strain, including unpaid care responsibilities and social isolation.
The report said nearly four in 10 cancer cases are linked to preventable risk factors, including tobacco and alcohol use, obesity, physical inactivity, infections, and air pollution.
Elisabete Weiderpass, director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, said progress in prevention remains too slow, while obesity, unhealthy diets, and air pollution are reshaping the global cancer burden.
WHO called for a people-centered approach to cancer control, urging governments to integrate cancer care into universal health coverage, strengthen social protection, and improve equitable access to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
