The past week has seen dire warnings over what has been described as an urgent picture of a growing global cancer burden.

A report led by the American Cancer Society (ACS) has urged world health organisations to focus on stronger prevention and equitable access to care.

According to Global Cancer Statistics, 2026, nearly 21 million people were diagnosed with cancer and 9.8 million died from the disease globally in 2024. The estimates show about 1 in 5 people worldwide will develop cancer during their lifetime; 1 in 9 men and 1 in 13 women will die from the disease. The number of cancer cases is projected to reach 34 million by 2050, a 67% increase from 2024, solely based on population aging and growth.

“Cancer is one of the greatest public health challenges of the 21^st century and a major barrier to increasing life expectancy worldwide. Understanding the magnitude and geographic distributions of the disease is essential to guide effective and equitable prevention and control efforts,” said Dr. Hyuna Sung, senior principal scientist, cancer surveillance at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the report. “While the scale of the cancer burden and the stark geographic disparities are sobering, they also point to a tremendous opportunity. Nearly half of all cancer deaths are estimated to be avoidable through potentially modifiable risk factors and an additional substantial proportion of cancer deaths can be prevented through early detection and timely treatment.”

The report found cancer incidence rates varied approximately 4- to 5-fold across regions, with the highest rates observed in Australia/New Zealand and the lowest in parts of Africa and South-Central Asia.

Mortality rates varied by 2-fold with the highest rates observed in Eastern Europe among men and in Melanesia among women.

Lung cancer leads globally in both new diagnoses and deaths, a burden driven largely by tobacco. There were nearly 2.6 million new cases (13% of all cancers) and 1.9 million deaths from the disease (19% of all cancer deaths) in 2024.

“Every region faces different cancer challenges, so every country needs a unique plan to mitigate the growing burden of cancer. However, cancer prevention must be every country’s top priority,” said Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, senior vice president of surveillance & health equity science at the American Cancer Society and co-author of the study. “We must intensify efforts to help people quit tobacco use, avoid cancer-linked infections, abstain from alcohol, maintain a healthy weight, and get more daily exercise.”

At a time when health services across then world are under increasing pressure the message from global cancer experts is clear – prevention is better than cure.

The major question remains how do health experts better engage with the public and if they succeed in raising awareness are there the testing and diagnostic systems in place to meet the demand?

Jon Guy, Editor,

Emerging Risks