Warning: Male cancer deaths to increase by nearly 100% by 2050

The number of cancer cases and deaths in men will increase sharply from now until 2050, especially in the group aged 65 and over. This is the result of a new study published in the scientific journal Cancer on August 12.

Researchers from Australia analyzed data on the number of cases and deaths from 30 types of cancer in 185 countries and territories in 2022 to make the forecast.

The total number of cancer cases in men is estimated to increase from 10.3 million in 2022 to 19 million in 2050, an increase of 84%.

Cancer deaths will increase from 5.4 million in 2022 to 10.5 million in 2050, a 93% increase. Deaths in men aged 65 and over could even increase by 117%.

The study predicts that cancer deaths in men will increase more sharply in countries with lower incomes and lower life expectancies.

Specifically, between 2022 and 2050, in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean, the number of cancer cases and deaths will increase 2.5 times. Meanwhile, the increase in Europe is about 0.5 times.

Men are at higher risk of dying from cancer than women due to more habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol - cancer risk factors, as well as higher exposure to carcinogens in the workplace, while having less access to cancer screening programs.

As in 2022, lung cancer is predicted to be the leading cause of cancer and cancer deaths in men by 2050.

The cancers with the highest projected increases in men by 2050 are mesothelioma (in terms of cases) and prostate cancer (in terms of deaths).

Researchers say better healthcare infrastructure and access, including ensuring the right health workforce, is needed to improve cancer outcomes and prepare for a surge in cases by 2050.

Expanding universal health coverage worldwide could strengthen “basic cancer care options,” it said, noting that low-income countries often have poor cancer outcomes and low universal health coverage.

Earlier this year, a research report by the American Cancer Society also pointed out that population growth and aging are the main causes of the increasing cancer burden in the world.

The global population reached about 8 billion people in 2022 and is expected to increase to 9.7 billion people by 2050.