New cancer cases globally are set to rise over the next three decades, according to a report released Friday by the WHO’s cancer agency, which blamed the increase on factors like weight gain and tobacco use.
“Over 35 million new cancer cases are predicted in 2050, a 77 percent increase from the estimated 20 million cases in 2022,” the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said in the report. “The rapidly growing global cancer burden reflects both population aging and growth, as well as changes to people’s exposure to risk factors, several of which are associated with socioeconomic development. Tobacco, alcohol, and obesity are key factors behind the increasing incidence of cancer, with air pollution still a key driver of environmental risk factors.”
