According to the findings, an estimated 20 million cancer cases were newly diagnosed in 2022 and 9.7 million people died from the disease worldwide. By 2050, the number of cancer cases is predicted to reach 35 million.

But the number could multiply to 35 million by 2050, due to the increase in the aging population, said Dr. William Dahut.

He noted that many of cancer drivers traditionally seen in high-income countries, such as smoking and obesity, are now shifting to low-income nations, which lack tools to detect cancer early, treat it properly, and prevent it.

The good news, he said, is that those risk factors can be minimized with lifestyle changes, he said.

“Given that more than half of cancer deaths worldwide are potentially preventable, prevention offers the most cost-effective and sustainable strategy for cancer control,” said lead study author Dr. Ahmedin Jemal.

Eliminating tobacco use alone could prevent one in four cancer deaths, or approximately 2.6 million a year, he said.

For experts, about 50% of cancers can be prevented by lifestyle changes, which involve quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake and being physically active, in addition to early detection of the disease.

The most common types of cancer are lung cancer, breast cancer in women, colon, prostate, stomach, liver, thyroid, cervix, bladder and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to the study.

Lung cancer was also the leading cause of cancer death, followed by colon, liver, breast in women, stomach, pancreas, esophagus, prostate, cervix and leukemia.

pll/lam/lpn