Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with lung cancer alone ranked the sixth leading cause of death in 2021. Cancer, also known as malignant tumors and neoplasms, is the result of interactions between personal genetic factors and external agents causing abnormal transformations of cells into tumors over time. As the global population has increased in age, the incidence of new cancer cases has also risen, contributing to a higher number of deaths each year. In 2022, nearly 10 million
Rise in new cases
Worldwide, the
incidence rate of cancer is expected to increase from just under 20 million new cases per year in 2022 to almost 30 million new cases per year by 2040. In 2022, lung cancer was
the most common cancer by number of new cases per year, followed by breast and colorectum cancers. The rise in incidence rates mirror the changes in population growth and aging, as well as increased exposure to risk factors associated with socioeconomic development, such as unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and air pollution. Although all countries are exposed to modifiable and unmodifiable cancer risk factors, the number of new cases and deaths from cancer range across regions and are related to each country’s population characteristics, as well as socioeconomic development and income status. In 2022, nearly half of all
new cancer cases around the globe were in Asia. However,
prevalence rates are higher in North America, reaching nearly 600 cases per 100,000 population in 2022. Regional differences in cancer prevalence and death rates are linked not only to the pervasiveness of known risk factors, but also to treatment access and the quality of care.
Prevention and treatment
Like other chronic, non-communicable diseases, cancer is clearly linked to preventable lifestyle factors. Therefore, prevention strategies focus on increasing awareness about the effects of health-harming activities such as using alcohol and cigarettes and being overweight or obese. Furthermore, early detection through screening is key in the treatment of cancer as it is more likely to respond to treatment, resulting in a higher chance of survival. Although there is currently no cure for cancer there are numerous drugs and treatments for the various types of cancers. In 2024, 11 of the
leading 15 diseases worldwide by number of R&D products were cancer related. At that time, there were around 1,031 active drugs in the R&D pipeline for breast cancer, the most of any disease.
The fight continues
Understanding the disease and developing state-of-the-art methods of prevention, screening, and treatment, are key in reducing the burden of cancer worldwide, but come at an increasing cost. For example, in 2024,
global oncology spending was expected to reach over 250 billion U.S. dollars. Although cancer will likely continue to be one of the leading causes of death worldwide for the foreseeable future, awareness of modifiable risk factors, an increased focus on early detection, and continuous research and development into new treatments are contributing to mitigating the burden of this deadly disease.
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