A sweeping new report from the American Cancer Society suggests cancer will likely be the leading cause of early deaths worldwide by 2050, with cases projected to rise by 74%.
"This is because of population aging and growth," said Ahmedin Jemal, senior vice president of the Surveillance & Health Equity Science Department of the American Cancer Society and the chief editor of the report.
In 2022, there were about 19 million new cancer cases worldwide.
The United States made up 13% of those cases -- more than the combined share from Africa (6%), Latin America and the Caribbean (7%), and Oceania (less than 2%).
Certain cancers in the U.S. are rising more than others.
According to the report, lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer in the world, despite declining smoking rates. In the U.S., the most commonly diagnosed cancer for women was breast, while for men, it was prostate.
Jemal pointed out that skin cancer is still the most common cancer in the U.S. overall. However, the report only included cases of melanoma, omitting other types that are not often accounted for in cancer registries.
James Van Der Beek's diagnosis puts spotlight on rise of colorectal cancer in young peopleThe number of young people diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the U.S. is on the rise and quickly expanding, the report also noted.
"We are seeing an increase in colon cancer in those born after 1950 and a decrease in the median age of diagnosis," said Jemal. More people are being diagnosed at younger ages and fewer people are being diagnosed at older ages due to early detection from colonoscopy screenings, he explained.
"We don't know why, but there are suspected risk factors," he said. "One is obesity prevalence. Others are ultra processed foods and changes in the gut microbiome."
Cancer is currently the leading cause of early deaths in the U.S., surpassing heart disease. However, not all groups are impacted equally.
The report highlighted significant racial and geographic disparities.
Black Americans have the highest cancer death rate of any racial/ethnic group and are more likely to be diagnosed with aggressive forms of the disease. American Indians/Alaska Natives also experience worse outcomes -- this is still true when diagnosis stage and type of tumor are accounted for.
The report suggested that this is driven by barriers like discrimination, cost, inadequate insurance, and less access to early detection and treatment options.
At 34, I was nervous about my breast cancer risk. Here's what I didPeople living in rural areas and southern states were also more likely to die from cancer, likely due to persistent poverty and obesity, as well as less access to screening and cancer specialists.
Despite bleak statistics and predictions, the report contained some good news.
Over the past 30 years, cancer deaths have decreased by 34% in the United States. Although the United States accounts for 1 in 6 cancer cases worldwide, it makes up just 7% of global cancer deaths, highlighting the country's strong detection and treatment efforts.
Deaths from lung cancer and HPV-related cancers are also decreasing, the report noted, thanks to medical advances like the HPV vaccine and CT screening.
Almost half of U.S. cancer deaths are due to modifiable risk factors like obesity, smoking and infection, the report estimated.
Although smoking rates have decreased overall, there is still more work to be done. Tobacco is still potentially linked to about a third of cancer deaths.
Jemal pointed to strong health promotion efforts, tobacco control and vaccination as making a big difference.
"There is a huge opportunity to substantiality reduce the burden of cancer globally by focusing on primary prevention, which is underappreciated and underutilized," he said.
Dr. Adeiyewunmi (Ade) Osinubi is an emergency medicine resident physician at the University of Pennsylvania and is a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.
