Global cancer deaths expected to almost double by 2050: research

SYDNEY: Australian research has forecast that the number of worldwide annual cancer deaths will almost double by 2050, according to a study published on Wednesday.

The study projected that 18.5 million people will die globally from cancer in 2050, an increase of 89.7 percent from 9.7 million in 2022.

Led by Habtamu Bizuayehu from the University of Queensland (UQ), researchers analyzed cases and death rates for 36 types of cancer in 185 countries and projected future cases and deaths by applying the rates to 2050 United Nations (UN) population predictions.

They found that the total number of cancer cases worldwide is expected to grow by 76.6 percent from 20 million in 2022 to 35.3 million in 2050.

Cancer cases and deaths are projected to nearly triple by 2050 in countries with low rankings on the UN’s Human Development Index (HDI), the study said, compared to moderate increases in very-high-HDI countries.

Lung cancer is projected to remain the leading cause of cancer death in 2050, accounting for an estimated 19.2 percent of all cancer deaths globally, up from 18.7 percent in 2022.

The research projected that the number of cancer cases and deaths will increase slightly more for males than for females between 2022 and 2050.

-Xinhua