Cancer remains a major global health challenge, with nearly 20 million new cases and about 9.7 million deaths recorded worldwide in 2022, while the annual number of new cases is projected to exceed 35 million by 2050, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
The projections point to a substantial increase in the global cancer burden, driven partly by population growth and ageing, alongside changes in exposure to risk factors. The WHO estimates that about one in five people will develop cancer during their lifetime, while approximately one in nine men and one in 12 women will die from the disease.
Lung cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide in 2022, accounting for almost 2.5 million new cases, or 12.4 per cent of the total. Female breast cancer ranked second, followed by colorectal, prostate and stomach cancers.
Lung cancer also remained the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. The WHO and IARC projections indicate that annual new cancer cases could rise to more than 35 million by 2050 - an increase of about 77 per cent from the estimated 20 million cases in 2022.
The agencies have highlighted tobacco use, alcohol consumption and obesity among the important risk factors contributing to the growing burden, while noting that the scale of the increase will vary between countries and levels of human development. In the United States, the American Cancer Society (ACS) projects approximately 2,114,850 new cancer cases and 626,140 cancer deaths in 2026 - equivalent to about 5,800 new diagnoses each day.
Despite the projected burden, the US cancer death rate has fallen by 34 per cent since peaking in 1991. The ACS estimates that the decline helped avert about 4.8 million cancer deaths through 2023, reflecting progress in prevention, early detection and treatment.
However, incidence continues to rise for several common cancers, highlighting persistent challenges in controlling the disease. In India, a study published in JAMA Network Open estimated 1,562,099 new cancer cases and 874,404 cancer deaths in 2024.
The estimates showed a substantial burden among both men and women. Mouth cancer was the most common cancer among men, while breast cancer led among women, followed by cervical and ovarian cancers.
The figures were based on estimates derived from cancer-registry data and should be distinguished from projections published by other agencies using different methods.