Cancer cases and deaths among men is expected to increase globally by 2050, according to a new study.
In the studypublished Monday in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, researchers predicted an 84% increase in cancer cases and a 93% increase in cancer deaths among men worldwide between 2022 and 2050.
The increase was greater among men aged 65 and over and in countries and territories with a low or medium human development index. The index measures each country’s development in health, knowledge and living standards, according to the study.
Using data from the Global Cancer Observatory, the study analyzed more than 30 different types of cancer in 185 countries and territories worldwide to make demographic projections.
This is not the first study to paint a less-than-optimistic view of the future of cancer rates.
Earlier this year, the World Health Organization predicted that we will see more than 35 million new cancer cases by 2050, an increase of 77% 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 predicted global cancer increase, including:
- Population aging and growth
- Changes in people’s exposure to risk factors, with air pollution a key environmental risk factor
- Use of tobacco and alcohol
- Obesity
In the latest study, the authors also pointed to smoking and alcohol consumption as modifiable risk factors common among men.
Other factors that may cause men to face higher cancer rates compared to women include lower participation in cancer prevention activities and underutilization of screening and treatment options, the authors added.
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 press release.