Researchers report dramatic rise in cancer in people under 50
Harvard GazetteJan 10
WHO: Cancer Cases to Rise 77% by 2050
The Facts
According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer, new global cancer cases will reach 35M in the year 2050, which would be a 77% increase compared to 2022. The agency argues that tobacco, alcohol, obesity, and air pollution will be among the key causes of this increase.
The report, which includes surveys of 115 countries, also found that most countries don't have sufficient cancer healthcare in place to tackle this problem. It claimed that 39% of countries don't cover basic cancer management and 28% don't cover palliative medicine.
The Spin
Narrative A
The world needs to know about the causes of this startling increase in cancer diagnoses, particularly in those under 50. Studies in recent years have already shown that rates of numerous types of cancer have gone up dramatically over the last three decades. While drinking, smoking, obesity, and processed foods are clearly at fault, an increase in sleep deprivation among children could also be a cause.
Narrative B
Although it's important to publicize cancer causes and try to limit them, it's also significant to note that cancer mortality has decreased significantly. In the US, cancer mortality rates have dropped by 33% since their peak in 1991. This positive trend will only progress thanks to advances in technology and medicine. Cancer won't go away, but the ability to defeat it is growing stronger.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that there will be a breakthrough in the treatment of hard-to-treat cancers by June 2031, according to the Metaculus prediction community.