A recent study published in The Lancet journal found that the yearly deaths from cancer are expected to increase by nearly 75 per cent in the next 25 years to 18.6 million. The major driving factors for this rise are a country’s economic growth and an increasingly ageing population.

The study also found that new cases of cancer are estimated to increase by 61 per cent to 30.5 million in 2050. Since 1990, cancer deaths increased 74 per cent to 10.4 million, and new cases more than doubled to 18.5 million in 2023. A majority of these cases are from low and middle-income countries.

The study found that India would see a sharp rise of 26.4 per cent in cancer rates between 1990-2023, which is among the highest in the world. China was found to see a fall in rates by 18.5 per cent.