Cancer will affect one in five of us in our lifetime and affect almost all of us, according to the World Health Organization’s Global Status of Cancer 2026 report, released on Tuesday.
“Our experience of disease and chances of survival now depend less on the stage or biology of our disease than on where we live and our economic circumstances,” the report said.
Data indicate that 20.6 million people received a cancer diagnosis worldwide in 2024 (19.5 million new cancer diagnoses excluding non-melanoma skin cancer: 9.9 million in men and 9.6 million in women); The number of new cancer diagnoses is expected to reach 35 million annually by 2050.
Cancer is also a major public health challenge in India, with data from the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research estimating that about 2.5 million people are afflicted with cancer in the country. About 700,000 new cancer cases are recorded in the country every year, with approximately 556,400 cancer-related deaths. In addition, 71% of all cancer-related deaths occur in the age group of 30-69 years.
Considering the impact of a cancer diagnosis on close family members, approximately 92% of all people globally will develop cancer at least once in their lifetime, according to a World Health Organization report. He adds that in all settings, a cancer diagnosis often brings great hardship. “The psychosocial burden of cancer is profound and long-lasting: Global survey participants reported significant disturbances in emotional well-being, interpersonal relationships, and social functioning; nearly 50% reported loss of close relationships, 60% experienced distress, and 50% of caregivers reported symptoms of prolonged grief.”
New WHO estimates of survival from breast and childhood cancer reveal the extent of global disparities: in high-income countries, where cancer is more likely to be diagnosed early, net five-year survival now exceeds 85%; In low-income countries, it drops to less than 30%. Cancer is a growing cause of premature death, and in 2021, it was the leading cause of premature death in 41 countries, the second leading cause in 37 countries, and the third leading cause in 47 countries. The report said that only 12 countries are on track to achieve the goal of reducing premature deaths from cancer by a third by 2030. In contrast, 48 countries have increasing rates of premature deaths from cancer associated with increasing cancer burdens.
The report says that the health system’s performance in cancer management can be a catalyst for change or a driver of human, financial and societal crises.
“…This is something we choose together, through the actions we take, and those we do not take, as stakeholders,” the report said. “Without rapid action, the burden of cancer on individuals, families and communities will continue to worsen, with the sharpest increases being experienced by low- and middle-income countries, whose health systems are least equipped to respond.”
“These increases are driven by population growth, aging and increased exposure to lifestyle and environmental risk factors: approximately 40% of new cancer cases are preventable through risk factors that we already have evidence-based measures to address,” she added.
The report calls on all stakeholders to implement key actions, coordinated around seven recommendations, to achieve the three transformations needed in the fight against cancer globally: better capabilities, better protection and better value. Recommendations include integrating cancer control into health system strengthening and universal health coverage; Strengthening the health system’s capabilities to provide comprehensive and integrated services to cancer patients; Promote community-level health promotion on cancer and enhance social protection; Unifying the cancer agenda around equity-based, system-wide solutions; and aligning research and innovation with public health priorities and service needs in low- and middle-income countries.
The future of cancer control will be shaped by the choices we make together when we determine what we value, what we measure, who we listen to, and what we are willing to fund, the report said.
He added: “This report is a call to make these choices together; it provides the evidence base and framework to guide us in those decisions and monitor their implementation and impact.”
