GENEVA — Annual global cancer cases are projected to rise from an estimated 20.6 million to nearly 35 million by 2050 unless governments take urgent action to strengthen prevention, early detection and treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said in a new global report.
The WHO Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, released jointly with IARC, said cancer remains the world's second-leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease, with close to 10 million deaths each year. The agencies warned that ageing populations, growing exposure to preventable risk factors and persistent inequalities in access to care are expected to drive a sharp increase in the global burden over the coming decades.
WHO said reversing the trend would require a "fundamental shift" toward people-centred cancer care and sustained investment across prevention, diagnosis, treatment, palliative care and survivorship. The report identified tobacco use, harmful alcohol consumption, obesity, physical inactivity and infections that can be prevented through vaccination among key modifiable risk factors. According to the agency, up to 40% of cancer cases are preventable.
The report also highlighted widening disparities between high-income and lower-income countries. While scientific advances have improved survival for many cancers, millions of people still lack access to screening, timely diagnosis, essential medicines, radiotherapy and other critical services, WHO said. Financial hardship remains a major barrier, with many households facing catastrophic health costs after a cancer diagnosis.
WHO said one in five people worldwide is expected to develop cancer during their lifetime, and the disease will affect nearly everyone either directly or through a family member or close contact. It urged governments to expand tobacco control, vaccination programmes, healthier public policies and equitable health financing while strengthening national cancer registries and health systems.
The report acknowledged progress in several areas, including declining tobacco use in many countries and broader implementation of vaccination programmes against cancer-causing viruses. However, WHO said those gains remain uneven and are insufficient to offset rising demand for cancer services as populations grow and age.
WHO and IARC said the report is intended to guide policymakers as countries prepare long-term cancer control strategies, warning that decisions made in the coming years will determine whether the projected increase in cancer cases can be slowed by 2050.
