GENEVA – The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that annual cancer cases could increase from 20.6 million to nearly 35 million by 2050, calling for urgent action to strengthen cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment worldwide.

Published with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the WHO Global Status Report on Cancer 2026 estimates that cancer causes nearly 10 million deaths each year, making it the second leading cause of death globally.

The report highlights major disparities in access to cancer care. While 87% of women with breast cancer survive at least five years in high-income countries, only around 42% do so in low-income countries. Fewer than one-third of countries currently include cancer care in their universal health coverage packages.

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WHO also noted that nearly four in ten cancer cases are linked to preventable risk factors, including tobacco use, alcohol, obesity, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, and infections such as HPV and hepatitis B and C. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.

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WHO is urging governments to invest in prevention, expand access to quality cancer care, and address growing inequalities to reduce the global cancer burden.

“Cancer is a deeply personal disease that touches nearly all of us. But whether a person survives cancer should never depend on where they were born or what they earn,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “The inequities documented in this report are not inevitable; they are the consequence of choices, and they can be reversed through stronger and unified action.”