The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that annual global cancer cases could surge to nearly 35 million by 2050 unless governments take immediate steps to strengthen cancer prevention with early diagnosis, treatment and supportive care.

The warning accompanies the release of the WHO Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, developed in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The report outlines the growing health, emotional and economic impact of cancer worldwide and highlights the urgent need for stronger action.

According to the report, cancer remains the world’s second leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease. Each year, the disease accounts for an estimated 20.6 million new cases and nearly 10 million deaths, with more than 26,000 people dying every day.

The report states that reversing current trends will require a fundamental shift toward a people-centred approach that prioritises the health needs and lived experiences of patients, survivors, caregivers and communities.

While progress has been recorded in areas including political commitment, tobacco control, vaccination programmes and investments in treatment, the report says major inequalities persist—and in some cases are widening—in access to cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and supportive care.

These disparities are especially pronounced between high-income and low-income countries. The report found that 87 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer survive for at least five years after diagnosis in high-income countries, compared with about 42 per cent in low-income countries. It also revealed that fewer than one in three countriescurrently include cancer care within their universal health coverage packages.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the report underscores the need to eliminate inequities in cancer care.

“Cancer is a deeply personal disease that touches nearly all of us. But whether a person survives cancer should never depend on where they were born or what they earn,” he said.

He added that the inequalities documented in the report were not inevitable but the result of policy choices that could be reversed through stronger and more coordinated action.

The report further notes that cancer is likely to affect most people at some point in their lives, either through a personal diagnosis or that of a close family member, making it one of the world’s most significant public health challenges.

Beyond the health burden, the disease continues to place severe financial and social pressure on families. WHO’s first global survey involving people affected by cancer found that at least 45 per cent experience financial hardship, more than half report mental health challenges, and almost all caregivers face significant strain, including the demands of unpaid caregiving and social isolation.

WHO said addressing these challenges will require greater investment in equitable cancer services, stronger prevention programmes and broader access to quality care to help prevent millions of avoidable deaths over the coming decades.

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Source: The sun