- A major global analysis estimates 18.5 million new cancer cases in 2023 and 10.4 million deaths, excluding non melanoma skin cancer
- Researchers project around 30.5 million new cases a year by 2050, with the steepest increases in low and middle income countries
- Around four in ten cancer deaths were linked to modifiable risks, including tobacco, diet related risks and high fasting plasma glucose
Cancer is increasing worldwide at a scale many health systems are not prepared for.
A major analysis published in The Lancet reports that global new cancer cases have more than doubled since 1990, reaching an estimated 18.5 million in 2023.
Over the same period, annual cancer deaths rose to about 10.4 million, with much of the growth concentrated in low and middle income countries.
Looking ahead, the authors project global cancer cases will rise further as populations grow and age, reaching about 30.5 million new cases per year by 2050.
They also forecast annual cancer deaths could reach about 18.6 million by 2050.
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A key point is preventability. The analysis attributes roughly 42% of cancer deaths in 2023 to a set of 44 modifiable risk factors.
Tobacco remains the largest single contributor globally. The list of modifiable risks also includes metabolic factors such as high fasting plasma glucose and high body mass index, both highly relevant to diabetes and prediabetes.
The study also highlights unequal progress.
While age standardised cancer death rates have declined overall, improvements have been far stronger in higher income settings.
In many lower resource countries, cancer rates and deaths are still rising, reflecting later diagnosis and limited access to effective treatment and supportive care.
For a diabetes focused audience, this global picture reinforces a blunt reality: prevention policies that reduce smoking, unhealthy diets, obesity and poor metabolic health are also cancer prevention policies.
Managing blood glucose, staying active and keeping weight in a healthier range will not eliminate cancer risk, but it does target risk factors that are now recognised in global burden estimates.
