Overview

• Global projections estimate 30.5 million cancer diagnoses and 18.6 million deaths in 2050, increases driven largely by population growth and aging.
• More than half of new cases and about two-thirds of deaths are expected in low- and middle-income countries, highlighting stark inequities in care.
• In 2023, 42% of cancer deaths were linked to 44 modifiable risks, with tobacco the leading risk globally and unsafe sex the top risk in low-income countries.
• Despite rising absolute counts, age-standardized cancer mortality fell 24% worldwide from 1990 to 2023, while rates increased in low- and middle-income countries.
• Researchers urge stronger prevention, timely diagnostics and equitable treatment access, as some clinicians also promote predictive genomics to identify hereditary risk.