Global cancer statistics 2024: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 34 cancers in 186 countries.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional population-level registry and modeling estimates (graded by design analogy for non-clinical descriptive epidemiology).
PubMed 42417444 · doi:10.3322/caac.70090
What was done
The authors analyzed International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) GLOBOCAN 2024 data to estimate cancer incidence and mortality for 34 cancer types across 186 countries. They evaluated national burden stratified by world region and Human Development Index (HDI) tiers and projected total cancer incidence to 2050 based on demographic trends.
What was found
In 2024, approximately 20.6 million new cancer cases (19.5 million excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) and 9.8 million deaths (9.7 million excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) occurred worldwide. Lifetime risk was 1 in 5 for developing cancer, and 1 in 9 men and 1 in 13 women for cancer-related death. Lung cancer led in both incidence (2.6 million cases, 12.8%) and mortality (1.9 million deaths, 19.1%). Other leading incident cancers included female breast (11.8%), colorectal (9.9%), prostate (7.5%), and stomach (4.7%). Following lung cancer, leading causes of death were colorectal (9.4%), liver (7.5%), female breast (7.1%), and stomach (6.6%) cancer. Incidence varied four- to five-fold across regions (highest in Australia/New Zealand: 477 per 100,000 in men, 396 per 100,000 in women), while mortality varied two-fold (highest in Eastern Europe for men at 158 per 100,000; Melanesia for women at 108 per 100,000). Projections estimate 34.4 million incident cases by 2050 (a 67% increase), with the steepest proportional growth in lower HDI countries.
Why it matters
This benchmark assessment highlights the expanding worldwide cancer footprint and identifies disproportionate future burden growth in lower-resource settings, underscoring the necessity of targeted primary prevention and healthcare capacity planning.
Limits
The findings rely on mathematical modeling and cancer registry extrapolations, which vary significantly in quality, completeness, and reporting lag across countries (especially in low-HDI settings). The 2050 projections reflect demographic shifts and may not account for future changes in cancer risk factors, screening adoption, or therapeutic advancements. Confidence intervals and uncertainty bounds are not reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Countries like Niger, Gambia, and Nepal consistently rank at the lowest cancer incidence rates, whereas high-income countries like Australia, New Zealand, and the United States have the highest rates.