2024-02-01 16:12:17
Some 35 million new cases of cancer are expected to be detected in 2050, or 77% more than in 2022, the World Health Organization agency specializing in this disease said on Thursday.
“The rapid increase in the global burden of cancer reflects both population aging and growth, as well as changes in people’s exposure to risk factors,” according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer ( Circ), citing tobacco, alcohol, obesity and air pollution as “key factors in the increase in incidence”.
A 90% increase in deaths in 2050
The Circ estimates the number of cancers diagnosed worldwide at 19.96 million in 2022. In 2050, 35 million are therefore anticipated. On average, one in five people will develop cancer during their lifetime, predicts Doctor Freddie Bray, head of the Circ’s cancer surveillance unit.
The number of cancer deaths has been estimated at 9.74 million for the year 2022 by the Circ, which anticipates an increase of almost 90% in deaths by 2050.
Half of cases in Asia
Asia concentrates almost half of the cases detected in 2022 according to the Circ (9.8 million), a logical figure if we consider that more than half of the world population lives in this region.
Less logical in view of the demographic weight, Europe (in the broad sense, Russia included) alone concentrates almost a quarter of diagnoses (4.5 million).
Conversely, less than 6% of global cases are detected in Africa, which nevertheless concentrates nearly 20% of the world population: it is in this region, where the population is particularly young, that the cancer occurrence rates are the lowest with the exception of cervical cancer.
Men and the elderly more affected
Cancer mainly affects the elderly: three quarters of diagnoses concern those over 55. Conversely, those under 29 represent barely more than 3% of cancers detected, even though they represent nearly 50% of the world population.
Cancer kills more men than women: out of 100 deaths, on average 56 are men for 44 women. Main explanation: lung cancer kills the most with 1.8 million deaths in 2022 and it is men, historically the heaviest smokers, who are the first to be affected. “But women suffer almost as much from cancer overall, and often earlier,” emphasizes Dr. Bray.
Lungs, breasts and colon
The three most frequently detected cancers in the world are lung (2.5 million cases – 12.4% of total cancers diagnosed), breast (2.3 million cases – 11.6%) and colorectal cancer (1.9 million cases – 9.6%).
In terms of mortality, smoker’s cancer predominates with 18.7% of deaths, ahead of colorectal (9.3%), liver (7.8%) and breast (6.9%) cancer.
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