Geneva, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) under the World Health Organization (IARC) released its latest report on Feb. 1 that in 2022, there will be about 20 million new cancer cases and about 9.7 million deaths worldwide. In both cases, lung cancer accounted for the highest proportion: 2.5 million new cases and 1.8 million deaths.
Lung cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer are the most common cancers in the world in 2022, and lung cancer becoming the most common cancer may be related to the long-term smoking situation that exists in the Asian region, the report said. Globally, there are gender differences in cancer incidence and mortality. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the leading cause of death in women. Lung cancer is the most common cancer in men and the leading cause of death in men.
The report also found significant inequalities in the cancer burden due to high and low human development indicators, particularly in the case of breast cancer. In countries with a high HDI, 1 in 12 women is diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and 1 in 71 women die from breast cancer. In contrast, in countries with low HDIs, 1 in 48 women dies from breast cancer, although only 1 in 27 women is diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
Women are 50% less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer in countries with a low HDI than in countries with a high HDI, and are at a much higher risk of dying from breast cancer due to late diagnosis and lack of access to high quality**, the report says.
According to the report**, there will be more than 35 million new cancer cases worldwide in 2050, a 77% increase from 2022. There are many factors contributing to the increasing global burden of cancer, including population ageing and population growth, as well as changes in cancer risk factors, some of which are related to socio-economic development. Smoking, alcohol consumption and obesity are key factors in the rise in cancer rates, and air pollution remains a major environmental risk factor.