Global Cancer Cases Projected to Reach 34 Million Annually by 2050 FAST-MOVING

New data from the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) show that about 21 million people were diagnosed with cancer worldwide in 2024, and 9.8 million died from the disease.

Researchers estimate that roughly one in five people will develop cancer at some point in life, with about one in nine men and one in 13 women expected to die from it. Lung cancer remains the most common form, accounting for around 2.6 million new cases (13% of all cancers) and 1.9 million deaths (19% of cancer deaths) in 2024.

The 2026 Global Cancer Statistics report projects new cases to rise to 34 million per year by 2050, a 67 % increase driven mainly by population aging and growth. The rise could be amplified unless major risk factors—smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, physical inactivity and certain infections—are curbed.