92% of people will be affected by cancer at least once in their lifetime, says WHO

Nearly everyone on the planet will feel the impact of cancer at some point in their lives, either through a personal diagnosis or through a loved one's illness, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said in its first-ever global survey of people affected by the disease.

One in five people will develop cancer themselves. But once the ripple effects on families are counted in, roughly 92% of all people globally will be touched by the disease at least once in their lifetime, according to the Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, released on July 8 by WHO and its cancer agency, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

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20.6 million diagnoses, mounting toll

The world recorded an estimated 20.6 million new cancer cases and close to 10 million deaths in the past year, making cancer the second leading cause of death globally after cardiovascular disease. The disease claims more than 26,000 lives every single day, the report noted.

Left unchecked, annual cancer cases are projected to surge to nearly 35 million by 2050, more than 40% higher than current numbers.

India figures among six countries that together account for two in every five children worldwide who lose their mothers to cancer, the report said, with breast and cervical cancers responsible for a large share of these deaths, nearly half of which occurred in Asia.

India is among six countries that account for two in every five children worldwide who lose their mothers to cancer, according to the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Status Report on Cancer 2026. The report said nearly half of such children were in Asia, with breast and cervical cancers accounting for a large share of these deaths.

A disease that bankrupts, isolates and wears down families

Beyond the medical toll, the report paints a stark picture of cancer's human cost. At least 45% of those affected report financial hardship, more than half report mental health struggles, and nearly all caregivers describe some form of strain, from unpaid caregiving duties to prolonged grief and social isolation.

Roughly half of patients and their families face catastrophic health expenditure. Even in countries with universal health coverage, indirect costs such as lost income, transport and childcare can prove financially devastating. Globally, the economic burden of cancer between 2020 and 2050 is estimated to be equivalent to an annual 0.55% tax on world GDP.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said cancer is a deeply personal disease that touches nearly everyone, but added that survival should never hinge on geography or income. He said the inequities documented in the report stem from policy choices, and can be reversed.

Where you are born decides if you survive

The report's starkest finding may be the survival gap between rich and poor nations. In high-income countries, 87% of women diagnosed with breast cancer survive five years on. In low-income countries, that figure crashes to just 42%.

Fewer than one in three countries currently fold cancer care into their universal health coverage packages, and only 28% include even a minimum cancer management package in their benefits.

Access to medicines tells a similar story. Among the WHO's top 20 priority cancer drugs, availability ranges from a mere 9% to 54% in low- and lower-middle-income countries, compared with 68% to 94% in wealthier nations. In some settings, high out-of-pocket costs leave up to 90% of patients unable to complete treatment.

Asia bears the biggest burden, Europe a disproportionate one

Asia accounted for the largest share of the global cancer load in 2024, with over half of all cases (50.7%) and deaths (56.5%), largely reflecting its population size. Europe, despite housing just 9% of the world's population, contributed 21% of cases and 20% of deaths. Many countries in Africa and parts of Asia reported lower incidence but disproportionately high mortality, pointing to weaker diagnosis and treatment access.

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Lung cancer remains the world's deadliest cancer. Lung, prostate and colorectal cancers dominate among men, while breast, lung and colorectal cancers form a major share of the burden among women.

Nearly 4 in 10 cases are preventable

The report flagged that close to 40% of cancer cases worldwide are linked to preventable risk factors, chiefly infections such as HPV, hepatitis B and C, and H. pylori, along with alcohol consumption, tobacco use, high body mass index and physical inactivity.

IARC Director Elisabete Weiderpass said progress has been too slow even in countries with prevention policies in place, and noted that the cancer profile is increasingly being driven by obesity, inactivity, poor diets and air pollution.

Some wins, but not enough

The report does record measurable gains. Global tobacco use has fallen 27% since 2010, helping cut lung cancer cases and deaths in some regions. Infection-linked cancers are also declining, aided by wider vaccination coverage and improved water, sanitation and hygiene.

National cancer control plans have become far more common, now in place in 82% of countries, up from 50% in 2010. HPV vaccination has been added to immunisation programmes in 85% of countries, though actual first-dose coverage among girls stands at just 31%, still well short of the 90% target for 2030. In high-income countries, 74% of women have been screened for cervical cancer, and early detection catches most breast cancers. Registered clinical trials have grown at an annual rate of 7.3% between 2005 and 2021.

Even so, WHO warned these gains are not translating into life-saving action fast enough. Only 12 countries are currently on track to cut premature cancer deaths by a third by 2030, while 48 countries are seeing premature cancer mortality actually rise.

The report's authors urged governments, international bodies, civil society, academia, the private sector and WHO to work together, calling for cancer care to be folded into universal health coverage and for people with lived experience of the disease to be placed at the centre of health systems.