The WHO's Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, produced jointly with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), estimates that about 20.6 million new cancer cases and nearly 10 million deaths occur globally every year. The report warns that, without urgent action, annual cancer cases could rise to almost 35 million by 2050, with the disease continuing to rank as the world's second leading cause of death after cardiovascular diseases.
The report estimates that cancer claims more than 26,000 lives every day, underscoring the growing burden on healthcare systems worldwide. It says reversing the trend will require governments to adopt a people-centred approach that prioritises the health needs and lived experiences of patients while strengthening prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and long-term care.
While acknowledging progress in political commitment, tobacco control, vaccination programmes and investments in cancer treatment, the report highlights persistent and widening disparities in access to essential services. Millions of people, particularly in low-income countries, still lack access to timely diagnosis, treatment and supportive care.
According to the findings, survival rates differ significantly depending on where patients live. While 87 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer survive for at least five years in high-income countries, the figure falls to about 42 percent in low-income nations. The report also notes that fewer than one in three countries currently include comprehensive cancer care in their Universal Health Coverage (UHC) packages.
Regionally, Asia accounted for the largest share of the global cancer burden in 2024, recording 50.7 percent of all new cancer cases and 56.5 percent of cancer-related deaths. Europe, despite accounting for only about nine percent of the world's population, contributed 21 percent of global cancer cases and 20 percent of deaths. Meanwhile, many African countries and parts of Asia continue to experience comparatively lower incidence rates but disproportionately high mortality due to limited access to quality healthcare.
The report identifies lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Among men, lung, prostate and colorectal cancers remain the most common, while breast, lung and colorectal cancers account for a significant proportion of cases among women.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said cancer continues to affect families across every region of the world and called for greater global commitment to closing treatment gaps.
"Cancer is a deeply personal disease that touches nearly all of us."
He added that whether someone survives cancer should never depend on where they were born or how much they earn, stressing that the inequalities highlighted in the report "are not inevitable; they are the consequence of choices, and they can be reversed through stronger and unified action."
The report also attributes nearly four in every 10 cancer cases to preventable risk factors, including tobacco use, alcohol consumption, obesity, physical inactivity and infections such as human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B and C, and Helicobacter pylori, reinforcing the importance of prevention and public health interventions.
Director of WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Dr Elisabete Weiderpass, acknowledged progress made in countries that have implemented preventive policies but cautioned that "though there are reductions in some cancer rates in countries that have implemented prevention policies, progress has been too slow."
Meanwhile, Nigeria says it is strengthening efforts to improve access to affordable cancer care through expanded financial support, increased health insurance coverage and greater investment in local research and drug production.
Speaking at the Best of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Africa 2026 Conference in Abuja, Director-General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Prof. Usman Malami, said the Federal Government had introduced targeted interventions to reduce the financial burden faced by cancer patients.
He explained that the Catastrophic Health Fund (CHF) under the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) subsidises cancer prevention, diagnosis, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for eligible patients, while the National Cancer Health Fund provides financial assistance to indigent Nigerians battling the disease.
"These are initiatives by the government to support the people of Nigeria suffering from this dreadful disease," Malami said.
He added that experts attending the conference were reviewing landmark studies presented at the recent ASCO Annual Meeting to determine how they could be adapted for African healthcare systems.
"What we are trying to do is domesticate expensive treatments by producing much-needed medicines locally and translating global research into actions in our clinics," he said.
Special Adviser on Research and Innovation to the Minister of State for Health, Dr Lolade Adewale, said Nigeria was also expanding insurance coverage and supporting clinical trials to improve access to advanced cancer treatment.
According to her, medicines such as Nivolumab and Keytruda are now being offered free of charge to eligible participants through clinical trials, reducing the need for patients to travel abroad for specialised treatment.
Immediate past President of the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), Dr Miriam Mutebi, also called for greater investment in African-led research, noting that the continent contributes only about eight percent of global cancer research despite carrying a significant share of the global cancer burden.