Record cancer diagnoses in Belgium as WHO warns of global surge

In 2024 Belgium recorded a new high of 78,697 cancer cases, surpassing the 78,000 threshold for the first time. The increase was strongest in Wallonia, where diagnoses rose 2.1%, while Flanders saw a 1.3% rise and Brussels a 0.6% decline. Men accounted for 54.3% of cases, with prostate, lung and colorectal cancers most common; women continued to be most affected by breast, lung and colorectal cancers. Survival rates for lung cancer improved for both sexes.

A WHO and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) report warned that global new cancer cases could reach about 35 million per year by 2050 if prevention, early detection and treatment access are not intensified. Currently around 20.6 million cases occur annually, causing roughly 26 000 deaths each day. The report highlighted stark survival gaps between high‑ and low‑income countries and called for stronger policies to reduce inequalities in cancer care.