Global cancer deaths among men projected to increase by 93% by 2050, study finds

By Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN

(CNN) — Cancer cases and deaths among men are expected to surge by 2050, according to a study published Monday, with large increases among men 65 and older.

For the study, published in the journal Cancer, researchers from Australia analyzed cases and deaths from 30 types of cancer in 185 countries and territories in 2022 to make projections for 2050.

The study projects that overall cancer cases among men will increase from 10.3 million in 2022 to 19 million in 2050, an increase of 84%. Cancer deaths were projected to rise from 5.4 million in 2022 to 10.5 million in 2050, an increase of 93%. Deaths among men 65 and older were projected to increase by 117%.

Countries with a lower income and life expectancy are also projected to see larger increases in cancer deaths in men. “Between 2022 and 2050, in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean, the number of incident cases and deaths is projected to increase 2.5-fold. In contrast, Europe is projected to experience an increase of about one half,” the researchers wrote.

Men are already more likely than women to die from cancer. Men are more likely to smoke and drink alcohol, behaviors that drive many cancer cases, and are more likely to be exposed to carcinogens in the workplace. They’re also less likely to access screening programs.

Just as in 2022, lung cancer is projected to be the leading cause of cancer and cancer deaths in men in 2050. The cancers with the highest projected increases in men by 2050 were mesothelioma for cases and prostate cancer for deaths.

The researchers say that stronger health access and infrastructure — including an adequate workforce — are needed to improve current cancer outcomes and to prepare for the increases expected by 2050. Expanding universal health coverage worldwide could strengthen “basic cancer care options,” they wrote, noting that low-income countries are disproportionately affected by poor cancer outcomes and have low universal health coverage.

Earlier this year, a report by the American Cancer Society found that population growth and aging are key drivers of the size of the world’s cancer burden, with the global population of about 8 billion people in 2022 projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050.

When it comes to the number of cancer cases around the world, “we think that number will go up to 35 million by 2050, largely due to an increasing population in the aging population,” Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer for the American Cancer Society, told CNN previously. And if more people also use tobacco and more have obesity, along with other risk factors for cancer, the society said the projected number of cancer cases could get even higher — especially in low-income countries.

CNN’s Jacqueline Howard contributed to this report.

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