Cancer deaths among men predicted to increase 93% by 2050, study finds
Cancer cases and deaths among men are expected to surge globally by 2050, according to a new study.
In the study, published Monday in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, researchers projected an 84% increase in cancer cases and a 93% increase in cancer deaths among men worldwide between between 2022 and 2050.
The increases were greater among men 65 and older and in countries and territories with a low or medium human development index. The index measures each country's development in health, knowledge and standard of living, according to the study.
Using data from the Global Cancer Observatory, the study analyzed more than 30 different types of cancers across 185 countries and territories worldwide to make demographic projections.
"We know from previous research in 2020 that cancer death rates around the world are about 43% higher in men than in women," said CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook. "So this study today looked at, OK, what do we expect over the next 25 years? And it turns out that it translates to about 5 million more deaths per year in men in 2050, compared to today."
This isn't the first study to paint a less-than-optimistic outlook at the future of cancer case numbers.
Earlier this year, the World Health Organization predicted we will see more than 35 million new cancer cases by 2050, a 77% increase from the estimated 20 million cases in 2022. The survey looked at both men and women in 115 countries.
The organization pointed to several factors behind the projected global cancer increase, including:
- Population aging and growth
- Changes to people's exposure to risk factors, with air pollution a key driver of environmental risk factors
- Tobacco and alcohol use
- Obesity
In the latest study, authors also pointed to smoking and alcohol consumption as modifiable risk factors prevalent among men.
"By far, not smoking is the single most important thing" people can do do reduce their risk, LaPook said.
Other factors that may help explain why men face higher rates of cancer compared to women include lower participation in cancer prevention activities and underuse of screening and treatment options, the study authors said.
Improving access to cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment options, especially for older men, could help improve cancer outcomes, lead author Habtamu Mellie Bizuayehu said in a news release.