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Global cancer cases could rise to nearly 35 million a year by 2050 unless urgent action is taken to strengthen prevention, early detection and treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned in its Global Cancer Report 2026.
Cancer remains the world’s second-leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease, claiming more than 26,000 lives every day. The disease currently accounts for an estimated 20.6 million new cases and nearly 10 million deaths annually, underscoring its growing impact on global health.
The report highlights stark inequalities in cancer survival between rich and poor countries. In high-income nations, 87 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer survive for at least five years after diagnosis, compared with just 42 percent in low-income countries.
The WHO also noted that fewer than one-third of countries have incorporated comprehensive cancer care into their universal health coverage systems, leaving millions without access to essential diagnosis and treatment services.
“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,” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
He stressed that the widening survival gap can be narrowed through stronger international cooperation, equitable access to healthcare and sustained investment in cancer prevention and treatment.
According to the report, around 40 percent of all cancer cases are linked to preventable risk factors, including tobacco use, harmful alcohol consumption, obesity, physical inactivity and certain infections.
While global efforts to reduce tobacco use and expand vaccination programmes have shown encouraging results, the WHO warned that access to essential cancer medicines, diagnostic services and modern treatment remains severely limited in many low- and middle-income countries.
The report calls for greater investment in prevention, screening, early diagnosis and affordable treatment to curb the rising global cancer burden and reduce avoidable deaths over the coming decades. Source:
