Cancer deaths to increase 74% by 2050: 8 things to know

There will be an expected 18.6 million deaths from cancer in 2050, up from 10.4 million cancer deaths in 2023, according to a study published Sept. 24 in The Lancet. 

For their analysis, researchers used the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors study to generate estimates of cancer burden for 47 cancer types, excluding non-melanoma skin cancers. 

Here are eight things to know from the study:

1. In 2023, there were 18.5 million cancer cases and 10.4 million cancer deaths, contributing to 271 million disability-adjusted life-years globally.
2. Of those, 57.9% cancer cases and 65.8% of cancer deaths occurred in low-income to upper-middle-income countries.
3. Of all cancer deaths in 2023, 41.7% were associated with risk-attributable cancers.
4. Between 1990 and 2023, overall global cancer deaths increased by 74.3%, and risk attributable cancer deaths increased by 72.3%.
5. By 2050, researchers estimate there will be 30.5 million cancer cases and 18.6 million cancer deaths, representing a 60.7% and 74.5% increase, respectively.
6. Cancer deaths are expected to increase 90.6% in low- and middle-income countries, and 42.8% in high-income countries.
7. The global age-standardized death rates are expected to decrease by 5.6% in 2050, which study authors called “encouraging.”
8. The probability of individuals aged 30 to 70 years dying from cancer is forecasted to have a relative decrease of 6.5% between 2015 and 2030.

Read the full study here. 

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