According to World Health Organization (WHO) data published in 2021, there is a significant trend pointing towards a worldwide increase in the absolute number of cancer patients diagnosed each year, as well as in the numbers of cancer patients dying from the disease each year.
It should be noted that this data reflects both aging and growth of the population as well as changes in the prevalence and distribution of the main risk factors for cancer.
Worldwide, an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases and almost 10.0 million cancer deaths occurred in 2020.
Female breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer, with an estimated 2.3 million new cases (11.7% of total cases), followed by lung (11.4%), colorectal (10.0%), prostate (7.3%) and stomach (5.6%).
Regarding mortality, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death with an estimated yearly 1.8 million deaths, followed by colorectal (9.4%), liver (8.3%), stomach (7.7%) and female breast (6.9%) cancers.
Lung cancer is the most frequently occurring cancer and the leading cause of cancer mortality among men, followed by prostate and colorectal cancer for incidence and liver and colorectal cancer for mortality. In women, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer mortality, followed by colorectal and lung cancer for incidence, and vice versa for mortality.
Cancer incidence and mortality rates vary between developing versus developed countries and over time. Overall incidence estimated is 3-fold and 2-fold higher in developed versus developing countries for men and women respectively, whereas mortality varied less than 2-fold for men and little for women.
Regarding these estimates and the expected increase in cancer incidence and mortality rates worldwide, efforts to build a sustainable infrastructure for the dissemination of cancer prevention measures and provision of cancer care, is critical for global cancer control.
Reference:
Sung H. et al (2021) Global Cancer Statistics, 2020. CA Cancer J. Clin. 71:209-249