Recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) released the latest estimates on the global burden of cancer and predicted the trends of cancer burden for 2040. The GLOBOCAN 2020 database provides estimates for 2020 of incidence and mortality in 185 countries for 36 types of cancer and for all cancer sites combined.

According to the data, the global cancer burden is estimated to have risen to 19.29 million new cases (10.06 million in men and 9.23 million in women), and 9.96 million deaths (5.53 million in men and 4.43 million in women) in 2020.

Worldwide, the new cases for breast cancer(2.26 million) exceed those for lung cancer(2.2 million), and Breast cancer has now surpassed lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide.

In China, the cancer burden is estimated to reach 4.57 million new cases (2.48 million in men and 2.09 million in women), and 3 million deaths (1.82 million in men and 1.18 million in women) in 2020.

Follows are the detailed demonstrations of the data:

China Ranks First in Terms of the Number of New Cases

In 2020, the estimated number of newly diagnosed cases is 19.29 million worldwide, of which China has 4.57 million, accounting for 23.7% of the total. The new cases are estimated to occur in China more often than in other countries, in part because China has the biggest population in the world.

The top 10 countries that have the most new cases in 2020 are: China (4.57 million), USA (2.28 million), India (1.32 million), Japan (1.03 million), Germany (0.63 million), Brazil (0.59 million), Russia (0.59 million), France (0.47 million), UK (0.46 million) and Italy (0.42 million).

Estimated Number of New Cases in 2020 By Countries

China Ranks First in Terms of the Number of Cancer Deaths

In 2020, the estimated number of cancer deaths is 9.96 million worldwide, of which China has 3 million, accounting for 30% of the total. The deaths are estimated to occur in China more often than in other countries, mainly because China has the biggest number of people with cancer in the world.

The top 10 countries that have the most cancer deaths in 2020 are: China (3 million), India (0.85 million), USA (0.61 million), Japan (0.42 million), Russia (0.31 million), Brazil (0.26 million), Germany (0.25 million), Indonesia (0.23 million), France (0.19 million) and UK (0.18 million).

Estimated Number of Cancer Deaths in 2020 By Countries

Breast Cancer Now The Leading Cause of Cancer Worldwide

Lung cancer used to be the most common cancer in the world. But the GLOBOCAN 2020 database shows that worldwide, the new cases for breast cancer(2.26 million) has exceeded those for lung cancer(2.2 million), and Breast cancer has now surpassed lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide.

The top 10 most commonly occurring cancer in 2020 are: breast cancer (2.26 million), lung cancer (2.2 million), colorectal cancer (1.93 million), prostate cancer (1.41 million), stomach cancer (1.09 million), liver cancer (0.91 million), cervical cancer (0.6 million), esophageal cancer (0.6 million), thyroid cancer (0.59 million) and bladder cancer (0.57 million). These 10 most common cancer types account for 63% of the total newly diagnosed cancer cases.

The Top 10 Most Commonly Occurring Cancer in 2020

Lung Cancer is The Leading Cause of Cancer Death

In 2020, the estimated number of cancer deaths is 9.96 million worldwide, and lung cancer death, with a number of 1.8 million, accounts for 18% of which, ranking first among other types of cancer death.

The top 10 types of cancer death in 2020 are: lung cancer(1.8 million), colorectal cancer (0.94 million), liver cancer (0.83 million), stomach cancer (0.77 million), breast cancer (0.68 million), esophageal cancer(0.54 million), pancreatic cancer (0.47 million), prostate cancer(0.38 million), cervical cancer(0.34 million), and leukemia (0.31 million). These 10 most common types of cancer death account for 71% of the total cancer deaths.

The Top 10 Types of Cancer Death in 2020

Estimated Number of New Cases and Deaths in 2020 in Men

In 2020, the estimated number of new cases in men is 10.07 million, accounting for 52% of the total. In men, the top 10 most commonly diagnosed cancer are: lung cancer(1.44 million),  prostate cancer(1.41 million), colorectal cancer(1.07 million), stomach cancer(0.72 million),  liver cancer(0.63 million), bladder cancer(0.44 million), esophageal cancer(0.42 million), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (0.3 million), kidney cancer(0.27 million), and leukemia(0.27 million ). These 10 most commonly occurring cancers account for 70% of the total new cases in men.

The Top 10 Most Commonly Occurring Cancer Among Men in 2020

In 2020, the estimated number of cancer deaths in men is 5.53 million(56% of the total cancer deaths), and the number of lung cancer death in men reaches 1.19 million, far exceeding the numbers of other types of cancer death.

The top 10 types of cancer death in men are: lung cancer(1.19 million), liver cancer(0.58 million), colorectal cancer(0.52 million), stomach cancer(0.5 million), prostate cancer(0.38 million), esophageal cancer(0.37 million), pancreatic cancer(0.37 million), leukemia(0.18 million), bladder cancer(0.16 million), and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(0.15 million). These 10 most common types of cancer death account for 77% of the total cancer deaths in men.

The Top 10 Types of Cancer Death in Men In 2020

Estimated Number of New Cases and Deaths in 2020 in Women

In 2020, the estimated number of new cases in women is 9.23 million, accounting for 48% of the total, and the number of breast cancer in women reaches 2.26 million, far exceeding the numbers of other types of cancer. In women, the top 10 most commonly diagnosed cancer are: breast cancer(2.26 million), colorectal cancer(0.87 million), lung cancer(0.77 million), cervical cancer(0.6 million), thyroid cancer(0.45 million), endometrial cancer(0.42 million), stomach cancer(0.37 million), ovarian cancer(0.31 million), liver cancer(0.27 million), and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(0.24 million). These 10 most commonly occurring cancers account for 71% of the total new cases in women.

The Top 10 Most Commonly Occurring Cancer Among Women in 2020

In 2020, the estimated number of cancer deaths in women is 4.43 million, accounting for 44% of the total cancer deaths. The top 10 types of cancer deaths in women in 2020 are: breast cancer (0.68 million), lung cancer(0.61 million), colorectal cancer(0.42 million), cervical cancer(0.34 million), stomach cancer(0.27 million), liver cancer(0.25 million), pancreatic cancer(0.22 million), ovarian cancer(0.21 million), esophageal cancer(0.17 million), and leukemia(0.13 million). These 10 most common types of cancer death account for 74% of the total cancer deaths in women.

The Top 10 Types of Cancer Death in Women In 2020

The Cancer Burden Analysis of China

In 2020, the estimated number of newly diagnosed cases is 4.57 million in China. Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer worldwide, but ranks fourth in China after lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and stomach cancer.

In 2020, the top 10 most commonly occurring cancer in China are: lung cancer(0.82 million) colorectal cancer(0.56 million), stomach cancer(0.48 million), breast cancer(0.42 million), liver cancer(0.41 million), esophageal cancer(0.32 million), thyroid cancer(0.22 million), pancreatic cancer(0.12 million), prostate cancer(0.12 million), and cervical cancer(0.11 million). These 10 most common cancer types account for 78% of the newly diagnosed cancer cases in China.

The Top 10 Most Commonly Occurring Cancer in China

In 2020, the estimated number of cancer death in China is 3 million, and the number of lung cancer death far exceeds other types of cancer death, with 0.71 million, accounting for 23.8% of the total cancer deaths in China.

In 2020, the top 10 types of cancer death in China are: lung cancer(0.71 million), liver cancer (0.39 million), stomach cancer(0.37 million), esophageal cancer(0.3 million), colorectal cancer (0.29 million), pancreatic cancer(0.12 million), breast cancer(0.12 million), neurological cancer (0.07 million), leukemia(0.06 million), and cervical cancer(0.06 million). These 10 most common types of cancer death account for 83% of the total cancer deaths in China.

The Top 10 Types of Cancer Death in China in 2020

In 2020, the estimated number of newly diagnosed cases among men in China is 2.48 million, accounting for 54% of the total new cases in China. In China, lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, followed by stomach cancer, colorectal cancer and liver cancer.

The top 10 most commonly occurring cancers among men in China are: lung cancer(0.54 million), stomach cancer(0.33 million), colorectal cancer(0.32 million), liver cancer(0.3 million),  esophageal cancer(0.22 million), prostate cancer(0.12 million), pancreatic cancer(0.07 million), bladder cancer(0.07 million), thyroid cancer(0.05 million), and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(0.05 million). These 10 most commonly occurring cancers account for 84% of the newly diagnosed cancer cases among men in China.

The Top 10 Most Commonly Occurring Cancer Among Men in China

In 2020, the estimated number of cancer death among men in China is 1.82 million, accounting for 61% of the total cancer deaths in China. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among men in China, followed by liver cancer, stomach cancer, esophageal cancer.

In 2020, the top 10 types of cancer death among men in China are: lung cancer(0.47 million), liver cancer(0.29 million), stomach cancer(0.26 million), esophageal cancer(0.21 million), colorectal cancer(0.16 million), pancreatic cancer(0.07 million), prostate cancer(0.05 million), leukemia(0.04 million), neurological cancer(0.03 million), and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(0.03 million). These 10 most common types of cancer death account for 88% of the total cancer deaths among men in China.

The Top 10 Types of Cancer Death Among Men in China

In 2020, the estimated number of newly diagnosed cases among women in China is 2.09 million, accounting for 46% of the total new cases in China. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in China, followed by lung cancer and colorectal cancer.

The top 10 most commonly occurring cancers among women in China are: breast cancer(0.42 million), lung cancer(0.28 million), colorectal cancer(0.24 million), thyroid cancer(0.17 million), stomach cancer(0.15 million), cervical cancer(0.11 million), liver cancer(0.11 million), esophageal cancer(0.1 million), endometrial cancer(0.08 million), ovarian cancer(0.06 million). These 10 most common cancer types account for 81% of the newly diagnosed cancer cases among women in China.

The Top 10 Most Commonly Occurring Cancer Among Women in China

In 2020, the estimated number of cancer death among women in China is 1.18 million, accounting for 39% of the total cancer deaths in China. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women in China, followed by colorectal cancer, stomach cancer and breast cancer.

In 2020, the top 10 types of cancer death among women in China are: lung cancer(0.24 million), colorectal cancer(0.12 million), stomach cancer(0.12 million), breast cancer(0.12 million), liver cancer(0.1 million), esophageal cancer(0.09 million), cervical cancer(0.06 million), pancreatic cancer(0.05 million), ovarian cancer(0.04 million), and neurological cancer(0.03 million). These 10 most common types of cancer death account for 83% of the total cancer deaths among women in China.

The Top 10 Types of Cancer Death Among Women in China

One of the most obvious changes revealed in the latest global cancer burden data for 2020 is the rapidly increasing number of the newly diagnosed breast cancer, surpassing lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Breast cancer incidence rates are surging worldwide, largely because of the changing prevalence of risk factors for breast cancer. These risk factors include the postponement of childbearing and having fewer children, which are particularly true in rapidly growing economies, where social and economic transitions are undergoing quickly, as well as greater levels of excess body weight and physical inactivity. 

The cancer burden is expected to increase by 50% in 2040 compared to 2020, when the number of the newly diagnosed cases will reach nearly 30 million, due to the future population growth and aging worldwide. This trend will be more conspicuous among those countries that require rapid social and economic development.

The increasing cancer burden has become a global trend, along with the changing common cancer types, which is mainly due to the changing prevalence of certain causes of cancer that is occurring in many countries worldwide. The risk factors are now prevalent in many high-income industrialized countries, which includes smoking, unhealthy diets, obesity and physical inactivity. 

The prevention and treatment for cancer need to be embedded into the country’s Health Plans as a key means of reducing the future global cancer burden and bridging the widening gap between the developing and the developed countries.

Reference：

https://www.iarc.fr/faq/latest-global-cancer-data-2020-qa/

All data in the article are from: World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer