Cancer Australia

Over the past decade, the world has made tremendous progress in the fight against cancer.

But there is still much to be done.

Risk Factors

Learn about the prevalence of major known risk factors for cancer in populations around the world.

Risk Factors Chart

A closer look

Over 20% of all cancer-related deaths are due to tobacco.

Tobacco causes at least 17 forms of cancer and is responsible for at least 2.6 million cancer deaths per year.

12% of new cancer cases are due to infections.

They also cause more than one-quarter of all cancers in many low-income countries in Africa and Asia.

740K+ new cases each year occur due to alcohol consumption.

Alcohol consumption increases the risk of at least 7 types of cancer. No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.

At least 13 types of cancer have been linked to excess body fatness.

Around 40% of uterine cancer deaths and almost 20% of kidney cancer deaths are attributable to excess body fatness.

90% of melanomas are attributable to sun exposure.

The risk of melanoma is also about 60% higher if a person starts indoor tanning before age 35.

The

The Burden

Burden

Explore the global cancer burden in terms of incidence, mortality, prevalence, and survival for each major world region as well as by Human Development Index.

Taking

Taking Action

Action

Discover effective interventions across the cancer continuum, from prevention to early detection, treatment, and palliative care.

A closer look

Tobacco Control

More than a billion people still use tobacco products worldwide due to failure to fully implement proven tobacco control measures.

Vaccination

Vaccines for hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus can prevent major-infection-related cancers.

Research

Global collaborative partnerships accelerate efforts to bridge the research gap, particularly in the areas of prevention and implementation and translation, to improve cancer outcomes worldwide.

Building Synergies

Global progress against cancer is only possible through shared commitment and collaboration across countries and communities

Universal Health Care

Implementing an essential set of cancer services as part of universal health coverage could save more than 7 million lives by 2030.

Explore the Atlas

Learn more about recent advances in global cancer with complete access to The Cancer Atlas' data.

Latest news

Global cancer statistics 2024: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 34 cancers in 186 countries

According to the latest GLOBOCAN estimates, nearly 21 million people were diagnosed with cancer and 9.8 million died from cancer globally in 2024, equivalent to 1 in 5 people developing cancer during their lifetime and 1 in 9 men and 1 in 13 women dying from the disease. The number of cancer cases is projected to reach 34 million by 2050, a 67% increase from 2024, solely based on population aging and growth.

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The effects of alcohol policies on reducing alcoholic beverage consumption

A Working Group of international experts was convened by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) to review and assess all available evidence on the effectiveness of selected alcohol policies in reducing consumption of alcoholic beverages at the population level.

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Nearly 4 in 10 cancers worldwide are attributable to modifiable risk factors

A new global study estimates that 38% of all new cancer cases worldwide in 2022, approximately 7.1 million cases, were attributable to preventable risk factors, underscoring the major potential of prevention to markedly lower the global cancer burden.

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