admin The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the number of new cancer cases worldwide could rise to almost 35 million a year by 2050 unless countries take urgent action to strengthen prevention, early diagnosis and treatment.
The Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, produced with the International Agency for Research on Cancer – the IARC, a specialized WHO agency – outlines that cancer already causes more than 26,000 deaths every day, with an estimated 20.6 million new cases and nearly 10 million deaths annually, making it the world’s second leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease.
The report warns that while progress has been made in tobacco control, vaccination and cancer prevention, millions of people continue to face major inequalities in access to life-saving care.
According to the report, survival rates differ sharply between rich and poor countries. While 87 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer survive for at least five years in high-income countries, the figure falls to around 42 per cent in low-income countries.
