WHO projects 70% rise in global cancer cases by 2050

The World Health Organization, together with the International Agency for Research on Cancer, released the Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, projecting a 66‑70% increase in new cancer cases worldwide by 2050. Annual diagnoses are expected to grow from about 20 million in 2024 to roughly 35 million. The surge is driven mainly by population ageing, especially in low‑income nations, and by lifestyle factors that are largely preventable. People aged 65 and older already account for more than half of all cases, and about 38% of new cancers are linked to modifiable risks such as tobacco use, infections, alcohol consumption and excess weight.

In Brazil, the ageing demographic will raise the number of new diagnoses well beyond the current 704,000 cases per year. Experts like Professor Bruno Araújo and oncologist Maria Fernanda Medeiros stress that stronger prevention, healthier habits and early detection can curb the projected growth. They note a rise in colorectal cancer among adults under 50 and recommend colonoscopy screening beginning at age 45 for average‑risk individuals.

The report calls on governments, health professionals and the public to intensify prevention programs and improve early‑diagnosis capacity to mitigate the looming increase in cancer burden.