WHO issues warning that cancer cases are set to double in the next 25 years
It's expected that some 2.11 million people in the USA will be diagnosed with cancer in 2026, which alarmingly equates to 5,800 new diagnoses every day.
Prostate cancer is set to be the leading diagnosis, followed by breast and lung cancer, but most tragic of all, those 2.11 million diagnoses are tipped to result in 626,140 cancer deaths.
Even though there have been some impressive breakthroughs in cancer treatment as the immunotherapy field expands, and there are supposed cancer-killing viruses, the cost of these seemingly revolutionary methods is simply becoming too much to deal with.
While the science world continues to evolve at breakneck speed, there are obvious problems with the headline-grabbing notion that AI will be able to cure cancer. Now, the World Health Organization has warned that things are actually going to get worse in terms of cancer, with cases apparently set to double in the next 25 years.
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The WHO reiterates that after cardiovascular disease, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, as we head toward 10 million deaths every year.
Why are cancer cases set to double by 2050?
Despite rapid advancements in treating many of the 200 types of cancer, survival rates are being held back by a boom in diagnoses and a spike in healthcare costs.
Highlighting the WHO Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, we're warned: "Without urgent action, annual cancer cases are projected to rise to nearly 35 million by 2050."
The report also mentions widening inequalities between those who have access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care and those who don't.
Honing in on breast cancer, 87% of women in high-income countries have survived for five years after diagnosis. This drops to just 42% in low-income countries.
This could be on the up when you realize that less than one in three countries currently include cancer care in their own universal health coverage packages.
It varies by region, although Asia's large population accounts for 50.7% of all cancer cases and 56.5% of cancer deaths. Even though Europe only has about 9% of the world's population, it carries a 'disproportionately high burden' with 21% of global cases and 20% of deaths.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says: "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.
"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."
We're told that cancer remains one of the most financially devastating challenges a household can face, with the WHO's first survey of people affected by cancer noting that at least 45% admitted to experiencing financial hardship.
How does the WHO plan on tackling soaring cancer cases?
The WHO states that four in every 10 cancer cases are linked to preventable risk factors like alcohol and tobacco, obesity, and infections like human papillomavirus (HPV). Between 45 and 60% of people diagnosed with cancer experience what the WHO calls "catastrophic health expenditure," especially hitting those in rural populations.
The USA is the country with the highest spending in terms of cancer care, peaking at nearly $209 billion in 2020.
To tackle all of this, the WHO outlines seven key recommendations that sit under three strategic shifts.
These include:
- Better capabilities: Integrate cancer control into universal health coverage and invest in human capital to prevent and control cancer;
- Better protections: Place people with lived experience at the centre of cancer systems while strengthening social protection; and
- Better value: Align research and innovation with public health needs and ensure equitable access to valued-based advances in care.
Clarissa Schilstra, a childhood cancer survivor and a lead of WHO's survey, concluded: "Cancer is not just a medical diagnosis – it profoundly, indefinitely affects every aspect of a person’s life, and their family's as well.
"We urge policymakers to meaningfully engage with people affected by cancer. By voicing our lived experiences, we can inform more equitable, effective solutions to protect and promote the lives and wellbeing of future generations.