The number of people diagnosed with cancer every year could climb to nearly 35 million by 2050 if countries fail to step up prevention, early detection and treatment, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned.
The latest global report comes as Kenya continues to record about 45,000 new cancer cases and nearly 30,000 deaths annually, underlining the growing burden of the disease.
Figures from the National Cancer Institute of Kenya (NCI Kenya) show that about 45,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year, while close to 30,000 lose their lives to the disease.
The Kenyan situation mirrors a worrying global trend highlighted in the WHO Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, which was prepared jointly with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
The report estimates that the world recorded about 20.6 million new cancer cases and nearly 10 million deaths in the past year.
According to the report, annual cancer cases are expected to rise to almost 35 million by 2050 unless governments invest more in prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
The report also shows that where a person lives continues to determine their chances of surviving cancer.
It found that 87 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer in high-income countries live for at least five years after diagnosis. In poorer countries such as Kenya, only about 42 per cent survive for the same period.
WHO further noted that fewer than one in three countries have included cancer treatment in their public health insurance programmes.
Kenya is among countries working to improve access through the Social Health Authority.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said cancer affects people in every country, but survival should not depend on income or place of birth.
“But whether a person survives cancer should never depend on where they were born or what they earn,” he said.
The report also examined the financial and emotional burden carried by patients and their families.
A WHO survey found that at least 45 per cent of people affected by cancer experience financial difficulties, more than half struggle with mental health problems and nearly all caregivers report feeling overwhelmed.
WHO said nearly four out of every 10 cancer cases worldwide are linked to preventable causes. These include infections such as HPV, helicobacter pylori, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, as well as alcohol use, tobacco use, excess body weight and lack of physical activity.
IARC Director Dr Elisabete Weiderpass said countries have made progress in reducing some cancers, but prevention efforts are still falling short.
“While we are seeing reductions in some cancer rates in countries that have implemented prevention policies, progress has been too slow,” she said.
“The cancer profile is evolving, increasingly driven by rising rates of obesity, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets and air pollution. Cancer prevention must remain a political priority.”
Despite the warning, the report noted encouraging gains in some areas. Global tobacco use has fallen by 27 per cent since 2010, helping lower lung cancer rates in some countries. It also found that the share of countries with national cancer control plans has increased from 50 per cent in 2010 to 82 per cent today.
In Kenya, late diagnosis remains one of the biggest barriers to successful treatment.
NCI Kenya Chief Executive Officer Dr Elias Melly said many patients still seek medical care when the disease has already reached advanced stages.
“Many patients continue to present at advanced stages of disease, making treatment more difficult, more costly and less likely to achieve positive outcomes,” he said recently during the 4th Kenya–United Kingdom Health Alliance One-Health Research and Innovation Conference 2026.