So far, lung cancer has been the most diagnosed in previous reports over the past two decades, said Hyuna Sung, chief scientist and cancer epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society.
“The change in rank indicates the epidemiological transition of cancer,” Sung told CNN. “It was quite surprising news for us.”
According to the new report, in 2020 there were 2.3 million new cases of breast cancer and 2.2 million new cases of lung cancer.
Sung said in an email to CNN on Thursday that there was an increase in breast cancer awareness, but mammogram examinations may not explain the full increase in diagnoses of animal cancer.
“The increasing trend of breast cancer probably reflects the increase in the incidence of breast cancer risk factors such as excess body weight, physical inactivity, alcohol use, delay in pregnancy, fewer births and less breastfeeding,” Sung said.
Researchers from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta and the International Agency for Research on Cancer in France wrote in the report that lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer death among men and women combined, with an estimated 1.8 million deaths compiled. 18% of all cancer deaths.
Lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer deaths among men, accounting for 21.5% of deaths in men. While breast cancer was the leading cause of cancer death among women, with 15.5%.
‘The burden of cancer … is growing rapidly worldwide’
The report is based on the incidence and mortality rate of cancer from the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Overall, the data indicates that in 2020, there were an estimated 19.3 million new cases and 10 million deaths from cancer worldwide.
According to the report, the five cancers most commonly diagnosed were: breast cancer in women, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer and stomach cancer.
The five main causes of cancer death, according to the data, were: lung, colorectal, liver, stomach and female breast cancer.
These estimates do not reflect the potential impact that Covid-19 may have had on cancer diagnosis or mortality, as the estimates are based on extrapolations from previous years’ cancer data.
“No one still knows what the impact of the pandemic will be on cancer statistics,” Sung said. “But there are many studies that suggest we are already seeing delays in diagnosis and treatment.”
Forecast estimates the new report that the global burden of cancer is expected to reach 28.4 million cases by 2040, an increase of 47% compared to last year.
Now about 1 in 5 people worldwide will develop cancer during their lifetime, the WHO noted.
“The burden of cancer incidence and mortality is increasing rapidly worldwide, reflecting both aging and population growth, as well as changes in the incidence and spread of the major risk factors for cancer, several of which are related to socio-economic development,” Freddie Bray, senior author of the report and head of the cancer surveillance division at the International Agency for Research on Cancer, said in a news release.
“Effective and resource-sensitive preventative and curative interventions are important for cancer diagnosis,” Bray said. “Tailored integration into health planning can help reduce the global burden of cancer and reduce the clear cancer inequalities between transition and transition countries observed today.”