Global cancer cases could rise to nearly 35 million a year by 2050 unless governments urgently strengthen prevention, expand access to care, and address widening health inequalities, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.

In its Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, produced with the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the WHO said cancer remains the world's second leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease, claiming around 10 million lives each year, or more than 26,000 every day. 

The report also warns that inequalities in cancer care are widening, with access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment and supportive care varying sharply between countries. Survival rates also remain significantly lower in low-income nations than in wealthier ones.

Cancer touches nearly everyone, the WHO said, with 92% of people expected to be affected during their lifetime, either through their own diagnosis or that of a close family member.

“Whether a person survives cancer should never depend on where they were born or what they earn,” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.