A shocking recent study has revealed alarming figures, as cancer mortality rates are expected to rise by 75 percent in the next 25 years.
It is alarming in the background of advancements in cancer treatments and early diagnosis over the last two decades.
According to the data published in the study in the Lancet Medical Journal, the study has found that a 75 percent surge would mean 18.6 million people are expected to die of cancer by 2050.
The rise in new cancer cases is projected to surge by over 60 percent in just two and a half decades, reaching the figure of 30.5 million.
The main contributing factors that would drive this surge are population growth and aging populations.
Currently over 40 percent of cancer deaths are linked to 44 “modifiable” risk factors, such as smoking, high blood sugar levels, and unhealthy diet, the analysis found.
Modifiable risk factors played a role in 46 percent of cancer deaths among men in 2023 as a result of tobacco use, alcohol, diet, air pollution, and occupational risks.
In women, that risk factor is 36 percent and was directly linked to modifiable risk factors. The key drivers include tobacco, obesity, and high blood sugar levels.
Dr. Thoe Vos, who is one of the study authors, noted: “There are tremendous opportunities for countries to target these risk factors, potentially preventing cases of cancer and saving lives.”
The report has analyzed 47 types of cancer in 204 countries and territories and tracked cases of cancer and deaths from 1990 to 2023 and then forecasted trends up to 2050.
More than 18.5 million cancer cases were reported in 2023, along with 10.4 million deaths globally; it is seen as the major surge since 1990.
However, mortality rates have shown a downward trend, resulting from decline in richer countries.
In the years to come, the cancer burden is only expected to hit hard in the lower-income countries.
And, unfortunately, they will account for more than half of new cancer cases and two-thirds of deaths between now and 2050, according to the study findings.
The need of the hour is that we must collectively fight cancer, and particularly G7 countries have to play their role in lowering this number that is going to affect lower-income countries.
They must allocate resources and provide funding for the latest cancer treatments so that our future generations are enabled to fight cancer with sufficient resources at their disposal.
