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Cancer in 2022

In this section, you will learn:

• In the United States, the age-adjusted overall cancer death rate has been steadily declining since the 1990s, with the reductions between 1991 and 2019 translating into nearly 3.5 million cancer deaths avoided.
• In the past three years, the number of cancer survivors living in the United States increased by more than a million, reaching greater than 18 million as of January 1, 2022.
• Certain U.S. populations have not benefited equally from the advances against cancer.
• The personal burden of cancer and its economic toll both on individuals and the U.S. health care system are expected to rise in the coming decades, highlighting the urgent need for more research to accelerate the pace of progress against cancer.

Research: Driving Progress Against Cancer

Cancer: an ongoing public health challenge in the united states and worldwide, variable progress among stages at diagnosis and types of cancer, disparities in progress for certain population groups, the growing burden of cancer, the global challenge of cancer, funding cancer research: a vital investment.

Medical research is the foundation of progress against the collection of many diseases we call cancer. Research improves survival and quality of life for people around the world because it is the driving force behind every advance in cancer science and medicine and every legislative action designed to improve public health. Each breakthrough against cancer is the culmination of a complex, multifaceted process that takes long-term commitment and years of effort by individuals from all segments of the medical research community (see sidebar on The Medical Research Community: Driving Progress Together ).

The remarkable progress being made against cancers—in particular, improvements in reducing smoking rates and developments in early detection and treatment—is resulting in cancer death rates falling steadily and in a rising number of people who survive a cancer diagnosis. In fact, the age-adjusted overall cancer death rate has declined by 32 percent between 1991 and 2019 in the United States, a reduction that translates into nearly 3.5 million cancer deaths avoided ( 1 ) Siegel RL, et al. Cancer statistics, 2022. CA Cancer J Clin 2022;72:7-33. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] . Among children and adolescents with cancer, overall death rates have declined by more than half between 1970 and 2019, largely due to advances in treatment ( 1 ) Siegel RL, et al. Cancer statistics, 2022. CA Cancer J Clin 2022;72:7-33. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] . In addition, in the past three years, the number of adults and children living in the United States with a history of cancer rose by more than a million, exceeding an estimated 18 million on January 1, 2022 ( 2 ) Miller KD, et al. Cancer Treatment and Survivorship Statistics, 2022. CA Cancer J Clin 2022;0:1-28. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] .

The steady decline in the overall cancer death rate can be attributed mainly to the unprecedented progress against lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer, the four most common cancer types in the United States. In fact, during the past three decades, age-adjusted death rates from lung, female breast, and colorectal cancers have decreased by 44, 42, and 53 percent, respectively ( 3 ) Kratzer TB, et al. Progress against cancer mortality 50 years after passage of the National Cancer Act. JAMA Oncol 2022;8:156-9. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] . Furthermore, there have been significant developments against previously intractable cancers, such as melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, fueled by a range of innovative new therapeutics that have moved rapidly from the bench to the clinic and received approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (see Figure 1 ). Collectively, these advances have led to the increase in five-year relative survival rate for all cancers combined from 49 percent in the mid-1970s to nearly 70 percent from 2011 to 2017, which are the most recent data available ( 1 ) Siegel RL, et al. Cancer statistics, 2022. CA Cancer J Clin 2022;72:7-33. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] .

Among the major advances made across the clinical cancer care continuum from August 1, 2021, to July 31, 2022, are the eight new anticancer therapeutics approved for use by FDA (see Table 4 ). During this period, FDA also approved two new imaging agents to help visualize cancerous cells, several artificial intelligence-based tools to improve detection and diagnosis of cancers, and new uses for 10 previously approved anticancer therapeutics.

The research that drives progress against cancer is made possible by investments from governments, philanthropic individuals and organizations, and the private sector. In the United States, government investments in medical research are administered mostly through the 27 institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The largest component of NIH is the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which is the federal government’s principal agency for cancer research and training. Medical research funded by the public sector contributes significantly to novel drug development, which is critical to saving and improving lives ( 6 ) Nayak RK, et al. Public-sector contributions to novel biologic drugs. JAMA Intern Med 2021;181:1522-5. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] ( 7 ) Galkina Cleary E, et al. Contribution of NIH funding to new drug approvals 2010-2016. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018;115:2329-34. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] . Federal investments in government agencies conducting research, such as FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are also of particular importance.

Although we have made incredible progress against cancers, this group of devastating diseases continues to be an enormous public health challenge in the United States and around the world. In the United States alone, it is predicted that 1,918,030 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2022 and that 609,360 people will die from the disease ( 1 ) Siegel RL, et al. Cancer statistics, 2022. CA Cancer J Clin 2022;72:7-33. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] (see Table 1 ). These estimates do not account for the consequences of COVID-19, which has proven to have an adverse impact across the spectrum of cancer research and patient care including significant declines in cancer screening and diagnosis ( 8 ) American Association for Cancer Research. AACR Report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Research and Patient Care. Accessed: June 30, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. . In addition, data from the past two years have clearly shown the heightened risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 among patients with cancer, albeit COVID-19-related mortality among this population has decreased over time ( 8 ) American Association for Cancer Research. AACR Report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Research and Patient Care. Accessed: June 30, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. ( 9 ) Dieci MV, et al. Clinical profile and mortality of Sars-Cov-2 infection in cancer patients across two pandemic time periods (Feb 2020-Sep 2020; Sep 2020-May 2021) in the Veneto Oncology Network: The ROVID study. Eur J Cancer 2022;167:81-91. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] . Ongoing research will uncover the long-term effects of COVID-19 on cancer outcomes ( 10 ) National Cancer Institute. NCI COVID-19 in Cancer Patients Study (NCCAPS). Accessed: Nov 27, 2021.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. .

Progress against cancers has not been uniform for all stages of a given type of disease ( 5 ) National Cancer Institute. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program explorer. Accessed: June 30, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. . This issue is illustrated by the fact that the five-year relative survival rates for U.S. patients vary widely depending on the stage at diagnosis ( 5 ) National Cancer Institute. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program explorer. Accessed: June 30, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. . As one example, among women with breast cancer and people with colorectal cancer, those whose cancer is confined to the breast, or to the colon or rectum, have five-year relative survival rates of 99 percent and 92 percent, respectively, while those whose cancer has spread to a distant site have five-year relative survival rates of 30 percent and 16 percent, respectively ( 5 ) National Cancer Institute. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program explorer. Accessed: June 30, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. .

An additional challenge that we face is the uneven progress against various cancer types ( 5 ) National Cancer Institute. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program explorer. Accessed: June 30, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. . For example, the overall five-year relative survival rates of nearly 91 percent for women with breast cancer and 97 percent for men with prostate cancer stand in stark contrast to the overall five-year relative survival rates of 21 percent for people with liver cancer and less than 12 percent for those with pancreatic cancer ( 5 ) National Cancer Institute. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program explorer. Accessed: June 30, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. . While some of these differences could be attributed to early detection of breast and prostate cancers through population level screening (see sidebar on Ways to Screen for Cancer ), disparities in five-year relative survival rates hold true for patients with these four cancer types even when their diseases are diagnosed at an advanced stage. The five-year relative survival rates of greater than 30 percent for advanced-stage female breast and male prostate cancers are significantly higher than the five-year relative survival rates of less than five percent for those with advanced-stage liver or pancreatic cancer ( 5 ) National Cancer Institute. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program explorer. Accessed: June 30, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. .

Among children ages one to 14 years, cancer is the second-leading cause of death, and the most diagnosed cancers are leukemia and brain tumors ( 1 ) Siegel RL, et al. Cancer statistics, 2022. CA Cancer J Clin 2022;72:7-33. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] . Thanks to extraordinary advances in treatments for childhood leukemia, the age-adjusted mortality rate from the disease has almost halved in the past two decades. Unfortunately, mortality rates from childhood brain and other central nervous system tumors have essentially remained unchanged ( 5 ) National Cancer Institute. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program explorer. Accessed: June 30, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. .

Developing new and effective tests for early detection of more types of cancer as well as better treatment options for all cancer types and for all stages of diagnosis could help address the challenges of variable progress against different types of cancer.

Cancer health disparities are one of the most pressing public health challenges in the United States. NCI defines cancer health disparities as adverse differences in cancer such as number of new cases, number of deaths, cancer-related health complications, survivorship and quality of life after cancer treatment, screening rates, and stage at diagnosis that exist among certain population groups ( 12 ) Cancer health disparities definitions and examples. Accessed: April 22, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. (see sidebar on Which U.S. Population Groups Experience Cancer Health Disparities? ).

As outlined in the AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2022, racial and ethnic minorities and other medically underserved U.S. populations shoulder a disproportionately higher burden of cancer (see sidebar on Disparate Burden of Cancer in the U.S. ) ( 13 ) American Association for Cancer Research. AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2022. Accessed: June 30, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. . As one example, the U.S. Black population has long experienced cancer health disparities.

In 1990, the overall cancer death rates for Black people were 33 percent higher than for White people ( 5 ) National Cancer Institute. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program explorer. Accessed: June 30, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. . There has been some progress in recent years as evidenced by the narrowing of the gap in cancer death rates between the Black and White populations to 13 percent in 2019, a 60 percent decline in the disparities since 1990 ( 5 ) National Cancer Institute. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program explorer. Accessed: June 30, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. ( 14 ) Lawrence WR, et al. Trends in cancer mortality among black individuals in the US from 1999 to 2019. JAMA Oncol 2022. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] . However, even in 2019, overall cancer death rates were higher among Black men and women compared to all other U.S. racial and ethnic groups ( 14 ) Lawrence WR, et al. Trends in cancer mortality among black individuals in the US from 1999 to 2019. JAMA Oncol 2022. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] .

Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) are another U.S. population that experiences cancer health disparities. According to a new report, gay men are more likely than heterosexual men to report lifetime diagnoses of cancers, and gay men and lesbian women are more frequently unable to afford many types of health care services compared to heterosexual men and women ( 15 ) Heslin KC, et al. Sexual orientation differences in access to care and health status, behaviors, and beliefs: Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, National Survey of Family Growth, and National Health Interview Survey. Natl Health Stat Report 2022:1-16. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] . Unfortunately, there are limited data on the epidemiology of cancer incidence and outcomes among SGM individuals making it difficult to evaluate the true burden of cancer in this underserved population. It is imperative that researchers collect disaggregated data by sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as within sexual minority groups (e.g., gay versus bisexual) and gender minority groups (e.g., transgender versus nonbinary) to accurately capture cancer epidemiology in these heterogeneous populations ( 13 ) American Association for Cancer Research. AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2022. Accessed: June 30, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. .

Research has identified complex and interrelated factors, often referred to as the social determinants of health, including socioeconomic, cultural, behavioral, environmental, and clinical factors that contribute to cancer health disparities. It is increasingly evident that structural racism and systemic injustices cause adverse differences in social determinants of health, creating conditions that perpetuate health inequities, including cancer health disparities (see sidebar on Why Do U.S. Cancer Health Disparities Exist? ).

One of the drivers of cancer health disparities is general health of a population group. For instance, individuals with underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, or those infected with certain pathogens, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), experience a greater burden of cancer (see sidebar on Cancer Burden Among People Living with HIV ). It should be noted that individuals with intersectional identities often experience multilevel barriers to optimal health care that adversely impact cancer incidence and outcomes. As one example, among individuals living with HIV, those who are from racial and ethnical minority populations may experience worse cancer health disparities ( 20 ) Elizabeth Read-Connole, et al. Basic/Translational research on Health Disparities in HIV/AIDS and cancer (Clinical trial optional). 2022. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] . Understanding the biological drivers of cancer health disparities in marginalized populations with an underlying HIV/AIDS diagnosis is an area of active investigation ( 20 ) Elizabeth Read-Connole, et al. Basic/Translational research on Health Disparities in HIV/AIDS and cancer (Clinical trial optional). 2022. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] .

Considering that a significant proportion of the U.S. population is affected by cancer health disparities, it is important that public health experts intensify research efforts designed to improve our understanding and mitigating of these disparities. Only with new insights obtained through innovative research, including basic science using biospecimens from diverse populations, clinical trials involving participants from all sociodemographic backgrounds, and health care delivery research, will we develop and implement interventions that may eventually eliminate cancers for all populations.

The public health challenge posed by cancer is predicted to grow considerably in the coming decades unless we develop and implement more effective strategies for cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment ( 26 ) International Agency for Research on Cancer. Global Cancer Observatory. Accessed: July 15, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. . In the United States alone, the number of new cancer cases diagnosed each year is expected to reach nearly 2.3 million by 2040 ( 26 ) International Agency for Research on Cancer. Global Cancer Observatory. Accessed: July 15, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. . This is largely because cancer is primarily a disease of aging; 80 percent of U.S. cancer diagnoses occur among those who are 55 or older; 57 percent of diagnoses occur among those 65 and older ( 1 ) Siegel RL, et al. Cancer statistics, 2022. CA Cancer J Clin 2022;72:7-33. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] , and this segment of the U.S. population is expected to grow from 54.1 million in 2019 to nearly 81 million in 2040 ( 27 ) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Administration for Community Living. 2020 Profile of Older Americans. Accessed: Jul 6, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. . Also contributing to the projected increase in the number of U.S. cancer cases are high rates of obesity and physical inactivity, which are both linked to some common types of cancer, and the continued use of tobacco products among certain U.S. populations.

Progress has been made toward reducing cancer incidence in the United States; new cancer cases have declined 10 percent from their peak in 1992 to 2019, the year for which the most recent data are reported ( 5 ) National Cancer Institute. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program explorer. Accessed: June 30, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. . However, overall cancer incidence has been rising among the U.S. adolescent and young adult (AYA) population (ages 15 to 39), which has seen nearly a 20 percent increase in cancer incidence from 2000 to 2019 ( 5 ) National Cancer Institute. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program explorer. Accessed: June 30, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. . In addition, the incidence of certain cancer types is steadily increasing, specifically among people younger than 50. As one example, many recent studies have reported an increase in the incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer among those age 49 and younger ( 28 ) Sinicrope FA. Increasing incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer. N Engl J Med 2022;386:1547-58. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] ( 29 ) Calip GS, et al. Colorectal cancer incidence among adults younger than 50 years-understanding findings from observational studies of lower gastrointestinal endoscopy. JAMA Oncol 2022;8:981-3. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] . The reasons behind rising cases of early-onset colorectal cancers are not completely understood but is presumed to be multifactorial, including contributions of modifiable lifestyle factors such as unhealthy diet and physical inactivity as well as factors that alter the gut microbiome such as use of antibiotics. To reduce the burden of early-onset colorectal cancer, many professional societies have modified their screening guidelines to recommend starting colorectal cancer screening at an earlier age. Additionally, researchers are evaluating new and improved strategies including genetic testing and others for prevention and early detection of colorectal cancer in the younger population ( 28 ) Sinicrope FA. Increasing incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer. N Engl J Med 2022;386:1547-58. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] .

Beyond the United States, cancer is an ongoing global challenge (see sidebar on Global Burden of Cancer ). According to a new analysis, there were an estimated 17.2 million new cancer cases (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) and 10 million cancer deaths globally, in 2019 ( 30 ) Kocarnik JM, et al. Cancer incidence, mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life years for 29 cancer groups from 2010 to 2019: A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2019. JAMA Oncol 2022;8:420-44. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] . The study evaluated cancer burden from 204 countries and territories as indicated by cancer-related deaths, as well as disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and years of life lost (YLLs), which are two measures of cancer morbidity. Researchers found that among the 22 groups of diseases and injuries analyzed, cancer was second only to cardiovascular disease in the number of deaths, DALYs, and YLLs ( 30 ) Kocarnik JM, et al. Cancer incidence, mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life years for 29 cancer groups from 2010 to 2019: A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2019. JAMA Oncol 2022;8:420-44. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] . The five leading causes of cancer-related morbidity among men and women combined were lung cancer, colorectal cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, and liver cancer.

The study also indicated that, although there were increases in the absolute numbers of both global cancer deaths and new cases from 2010 to 2019, the age-standardized mortality and incidence rates decreased by six percent and one percent, respectively ( 30 ) Kocarnik JM, et al. Cancer incidence, mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life years for 29 cancer groups from 2010 to 2019: A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2019. JAMA Oncol 2022;8:420-44. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] . These trends, however, precede the setbacks in cancer care and outcomes that have been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Global health experts are also concerned about the consequences of the ongoing wars that have displaced populations, further destroying health care systems, disrupting social services, and increasing risk of infectious disease transmission ( 31 ) The ASCO Post Staff. War is hell. It’s also a public health disaster, especially for people with cancer. Accessed: July 6, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. . Considering the devastating impact of these global crises on the entire continuum of cancer research and patient care as well as the growth of the global population age 65 and older ( 32 ) United Nations. Ageing. Accessed: July 6, 2022.[cited 2020 Jul 15]. , researchers caution that the burden of cancer worldwide may rise significantly in the coming decades.

Another concern among global public health experts is that, while age-standardized mortality and incidence rates are declining overall, the reduction in rates appears to be driven by countries with a higher sociodemographic index (SDI)—a composite measure of the social and economic development of a country that considers income per capita, average years of education, and total fertility rate for people younger than 25. The data indicate that age-standardized cancer incidence and mortality rates are increasing in countries with lower SDI ( 33 ) Pramesh CS, et al. Priorities for cancer research in low- and middle-income countries: a global perspective. Nat Med 2022;28:649-57. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] .

To ensure that progress against cancer is equitable worldwide, it is imperative that the global medical research community work together and share best practices to implement newer and more effective strategies that incorporate local needs and knowledge into tailored national cancer control plans. Public health experts have identified several priorities based on present and future needs of low resource countries, including reducing the burden of advanced cancers; improving access, affordability, and outcomes of treatment, utilizing value-based care; fostering implementation research; and leveraging technology to improve cancer control ( 33 ) Pramesh CS, et al. Priorities for cancer research in low- and middle-income countries: a global perspective. Nat Med 2022;28:649-57. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] .

Cancer exerts an immense toll because of the number of lives it affects each year and through its significant economic impact. The direct medical costs of cancer care are one measure of the financial impact of cancer, and in the United States alone, they were estimated to be $183 billion in 2015, the last year for which these data are currently available; this cost is projected to increase to $246 billion by 2030 ( 1 ) Siegel RL, et al. Cancer statistics, 2022. CA Cancer J Clin 2022;72:7-33. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] . These numbers do not include the indirect costs of lost productivity due to cancer-related morbidity and mortality, which are also extremely high. Notably, cancer patients in the United States shouldered an economic burden of $21 billion in 2019 from out-of-pocket costs and other related expenses, which is nearly 3.5 times the amount of approximately $6 billion in NCI funding for cancer research in the same year ( 38 ) Yabroff KR, et al. Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, part 2: Patient economic burden associated with cancer care. J Natl Cancer Inst 2021;113:1670-82. [LINK NOT AVAILABLE] .

With the number of cancer cases projected to increase in the coming decades, we can be certain that both the direct and indirect costs will also escalate. The rising personal and economic burden of cancer underscores the urgent need for more research so that we can accelerate the pace of progress against cancer.

Recent advances in cancer prevention, detection, and treatment, many of which are highlighted in this report, were made as a direct result of the cumulative efforts of researchers from across the spectrum of cancer science and medicine. Much of their work, as well as that of FDA—the federal regulatory agency that assures the safety and efficacy of medical devices and therapeutic advances—is supported by funds from the federal government. The consecutive increases for the NIH budget in the last seven fiscal years have helped maintain the momentum of progress (see Investments in Research Fuel a Healthier Future ). To keep up with the pace of scientific and technological innovation, it is imperative, however, that Congress continue to provide sustained, robust, and predictable increases in investments in the federal agencies that are vital for fueling progress against cancer, in particular, NIH, NCI, FDA, and CDC, in the years ahead (see AACR Call to Action ).

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World Cancer Report: Cancer Research for Cancer Prevention

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World Cancer Report: Cancer Research for Cancer Prevention

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Questions and answers, download pdf, what is the iarc world cancer report .

The new IARC World Cancer Report is the product of a collaboration between leading international scientists that describes multiple aspects of cancer research for cancer prevention. Starting with the latest trends in cancer incidence and mortality worldwide, this publication provides wide-ranging insights into cancer prevention based on the known causes of cancer, factors that determine how cancer develops, and the behaviour of different tumour types, and presents a broad scope of interventions to reduce the cancer burden from a global perspective. The scientific disciplines covered include descriptive epidemiology (the distribution of disease, and specifically cancer, within particular populations), cancer etiology (including infections, chemicals, radiation, metabolism and nutrition, and genetic factors), cellular and molecular biology, toxicology and pathology, behavioural and social sciences, public health, biostatistics, and informatics. Wild CP, Weiderpass E, Stewart BW, editors (2020). World Cancer Report: Cancer Research for Cancer Prevention. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer. Available from: http://publications.iarc.fr/586 .

Who is this publication for?

World Cancer Report: Cancer Research for Cancer Prevention features the latest research from across multiple disciplines. It is aimed primarily at cancer researchers, academia, health professionals, and policy-makers, but this expert report remains accessible to a wider audience, including the general public, civil society, and the private sector.

What is the objective of the report?

The IARC World Cancer Report is the most comprehensive overview of relevant research yet available. This latest publication is part of a well-established series . Produced about every 5 years, World Cancer Report provides the latest evidence on cancer prevention and serves as an authoritative reference in the cancer research community. The volume editors of this new World Cancer Report are IARC Director Dr Elisabete Weiderpass, former IARC Director Dr Christopher P. Wild , and Professor Bernard W. Stewart of the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

What does the latest World Cancer Report include?

Based on how cancer is distributed worldwide, and differences between and within particular countries, this new assessment offers a comprehensive overview of the global cancer burden as a starting point for documenting all known options for cancer prevention through the latest research. The publication documents the causes of cancer, discussing infectious agents, alcohol consumption, metabolism and nutrition, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and obesity as well as dietary carcinogens, occupational exposure, and the contamination of air, water, and soil, among other topics. The biological processes that affect cancer development are also presented, with a focus on sporadic cancer, genomics and susceptibility, gene–environment interactions, and DNA repair, as well as inflammation and its pivotal role in cancer pathogenesis, to name but a few. A full section is devoted to multiple chapters on the inequalities that affect the distribution of cancer within communities, clearly illustrating that in both high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries, there are groups of people in every community who are at a major disadvantage with respect to risk of cancer. Options for prevention include avoiding exposure to carcinogens, for example by smoking cessation, as well as vaccination, screening, monitoring those at high genetic risk, using therapeutics to reduce cancer risk, and emerging molecular technology for early diagnosis.

What’s new in this World Cancer Report ?

The impact of cancer on the global community can now be defined with greater precision than ever before. The causes of cancer are now better understood in terms of both the precise biological changes induced by causative agents and the characteristics of exposed people who prove to be susceptible to cancer development. This is the broad background against which both biological and sociological variables determine the distribution of cancer and, in many instances, its potential prevention. Factors determining cancer development and prevention The causes of cancer vary markedly in their character and impact. Cancer is just one of the diseases caused by tobacco smoking, but lung cancer and other cancer types caused by smoking are among the most lethal of such diseases. Millions of people are infected with human papillomavirus (HPV), Helicobacter pylori , or hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus, and are thus at risk of developing cervical cancer, stomach cancer, and liver cancer, respectively. Complex biological processes, including DNA repair, the occurrence of overweight or obesity, and the consequences of inflammation, are crucial determinants of cancer development. These processes are delineated in the new World Cancer Report . Although much is known about cancer causation, for many tumour types few, if any, relevant carcinogens have been identified. This applies to, for example, brain cancer and prostate cancer. For lung cancer, a broad spectrum of causes are known, beginning with active smoking and extending to second-hand smoke, certain occupations, and atmospheric pollution. Despite this, some individual cases of lung cancer have no evident cause. Such tumours, along with most cases of brain cancer and prostate cancer, are often described as sporadic. Another exciting first for the new World Cancer Report is a discussion of sporadic cancer and the biological principles that are thought to underpin the development of such cancer. Biological processes are common to all people, but the distribution of cancer in all countries is subject to socioeconomic differences. For the first time, inequalities as a determinant of cancer incidence and mortality are specifically addressed in a separate section of the new World Cancer Report . Previous World Cancer Reports described the disproportionately increasing burden of cancer in low- and middle-income countries, and this trend clearly persists. However, in all countries, irrespective of income grouping, sections of the communities are disadvantaged both in relation to circumstances of risk and with respect to prevention and treatment services. In the new World Cancer Report , separate chapters evaluate inequalities that affect cancer incidence in Africa, China, Europe, India, and the USA. Increasing options for cancer prevention Cancer prevention is often identified with community campaigns, such as those to promote smoking avoidance or cessation, to ensure that exposure to asbestos does not occur in the workplace and elsewhere, to prevent particular infections, and, particularly for fair-skinned people, to avoid deliberate sun exposure without sun protection. All these ways of preventing cancer remain relevant; they are proven to reduce cancer incidence, and research continues to demonstrate their efficacy. However, cancer prevention involves a far greater range of initiatives than avoiding exposure to known carcinogens. Perhaps the most effective means of cancer prevention, and one that has the prospect of eliminating one tumour type completely, is vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), which is the cause of cervical cancer. Vaccination against hepatitis B and C viruses also has a proven impact on the incidence of liver cancer in certain communities. The single greatest challenge to cancer prevention identified in the new World Cancer Report is overweight or obesity. Although the prevalence of overweight or obesity is readily identified with populations in high-income countries, this condition is now evident in many regions of the world. Multiple tumour types, including colorectal cancer and breast cancer, are attributable, at least in part, to overweight or obesity. The biological mechanisms by which overweight or obesity increases the risk of various tumour types are not yet fully explained. Altering community behaviour to reduce the prevalence of overweight or obesity is recognized as a means of preventing not only certain types of cancer but also other chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. For sporadic cancers in different organs (i.e. cancers for which no recognized exposure accounts for tumour development), options for prevention are emerging and are being evaluated by researchers. For multiple tumour types, World Cancer Report discusses population-based screening for detection of cancer at an early stage or of preconditions leading to cancer development. One chapter describes early diagnosis on the basis of tumour DNA detected in blood, and another describes how individual susceptibility to tumorigenesis may be determined using genomic data.

What is the difference between the WHO Report on Cancer and the IARC World Cancer Report ?

In May 2017, the cancer resolution ( WHA70.12 ) adopted at the Seventieth World Health Assembly requested WHO, in collaboration with IARC, to produce a comprehensive global report providing evidence-based public health- and policy-oriented guidance on cancer for WHO Member States. The outcome of this charge is the WHO Report on Cancer: Setting priorities, investing wisely and providing care for all . The WHO report complements the IARC World Cancer Report by synthesizing evidence to translate the latest knowledge into actionable policies to support governments to prevent and control cancer globally. These two complementary publications, launched jointly by WHO and IARC, will each contribute to an increased awareness, both professionally and in the wider community, of the lives affected by cancer, and what may be done, is being done, and should be done to decrease the impact of this disease.

What are the key messages in the IARC World Cancer Report ?

Cancer is the second most common cause of death worldwide, and the burden of cancer is increasing in all countries. This poses a rapidly growing threat to individuals, health systems, and economies globally. Countries must accelerate their multisectoral, evidence-based, and resource-appropriate responses now to avoid 7 million cancer deaths over the next decade. The cancer burden is predicted to nearly double over the next decade in low- and middle-income countries. If no additional action is taken, there will be millions of additional premature deaths from cancer over the next decade, and we will fail to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals target (Target 3.4) to reduce the total premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases, including cancer, by one third by 2030. The global cancer burden is expected to reach 29 million new cancer cases per year by 2040, a 62% increase on the estimated 18.1 million cancers in 2018. The increases in the cancer incidence burden will affect all countries, but the predicted increases will be proportionately greatest in low-income countries, due to known infectious agents, chemicals including tobacco, and obesity. World Cancer Report documents how the cancer burden continues to grow and emphasizes the need for urgent implementation of efficient prevention strategies to curb the disease. For cervical cancer, lung cancer, and most other cancer types, the relative incidence is greatest among those at socioeconomic disadvantage, particularly including ethnic and racial minorities and Indigenous populations. Cancer inequalities reflect the cultures and environments in which people are born, live, and work and the uneven application of preventive measures, both between and within countries. Vaccination and screening are effective for some cancer types but are differentially available. Most genomic data are from studies in individuals of European ancestry. In the future, the characterization of individual susceptibility to cancer and the closer identification of those at risk will enable precision cancer prevention.

Dr Elisabete Weiderpass, IARC Director, presents World Cancer Report: Cancer Research for Cancer Prevention

Professor bernard stewart presents world cancer report: cancer research for cancer prevention.

Published in section: Featured News

Publication date: 4 February, 2020, 6:50

Direct link: https://www.iarc.who.int/featured-news/new-world-cancer-report/

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February 2024 

January 2024

Explore a selection of reports and publications from the Cancer Intelligence experts at Cancer Research UK, and through various collaborations.

Local Stats Data Hub

The local stats data hub gives provides information across the cancer pathway for each constituency area based on publicly available data. It includes information on smoking prevalence, childhood overweight and obesity, bowel screening, cancer waiting times, cancer incidence and cancer mortality.

Cancer Waiting Times and Diagnostic Activity Data Hub

The CRUK Cancer Intelligence Team’s Cancer Waiting Times and Diagnostic Activity Data Hub gathers the latest data from across the UK on cancer waiting times performance and diagnostic activity and waiting times. You can view breakdowns for some of this information by a specific cancer site and country.

Early Diagnosis Data Hub

The CRUK Cancer Intelligence Team’s Early Diagnosis Data Hub gathers information and statistics across a number of cancer early diagnosis measures including incidence and survival by stage at diagnosis, screening uptake, urgent GP referrals and routes to diagnosis. You can view breakdowns for some of this information by a specific cancer site and country.

Children and Young People’s Cancers Data Hub

The CRUK Cancer Intelligence Team’s Children and Young People Cancer data hub uses data from Public Health England to provide a dashboard for cancer incidence and survival for 0–24-year-olds in the UK and its constituent nations. You can view data for each country by sex, age, main ICCC-3 diagnostic group and diagnostic subgroups. 

Cancer Waiting Times

Performance measures across the cancer pathway: Key Stats

COVID-19’s effect on cancer patients is a key concern to the cancer community with delayed or decreased diagnosis, tests and treatment. To understand this variable and rapidly changing landscape the Cancer Intelligence team are regularly monitoring published data around the impact of the pandemic across the cancer pathway. We have prepared some key insights which reports latest data across the UK (and where possible for the devolved nations) on screening, urgent suspected referrals, diagnostic tests and treatment. 

Cancer Intelligence Team, Cancer Research UK. Performance measures across the cancer pathway: Key Stats  Updated January 2024

Covid-19 and Cancer

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer surgery and cancer mortality

This research report from Telstra Health UK and Cancer Research UK explores the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer surgery and cancer mortality, both at the very beginning and throughout 18 months of living with the disruption, fear, and strain. The analysis reveals a general decrease in patients undergoing cancer surgery at the start of the pandemic for all demographic groups, but shows that for the most part the recovery period of the COVID-19 pandemic has not exacerbated inequalities in access to cancer surgery. However we know that there are disparities in access to treatment particularly by age, as well as some evidence of variation by deprivation and region. The report also highlights changes in cancer mortality and place of death. Overall it is shown that there was a profound and sustained impact on cancer services and patients but the true extent of these effects is not yet fully understood.

View the report here

Cancer & COVID-19 Research Summit

Cancer Research UK (CRUK), The National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) and Public Health England’s National Disease Registration Service (PHE NCRAS) hosted a Cancer/COVID-19 Research Summit with researchers from different disciplines to identify key research themes or questions around COVID-19’s impact on cancer prevention, early diagnosis and screening. Also, to discuss how the impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients can be mitigated through effective research.

Several areas in which further research is needed were identified, as well as lessons from the pandemic to improve research, cancer care, and help prepare for future crises. These include understanding the biological and psychological effects of COVID-19 on cancer patients, risk factors associated with COVID-19 and cancer, the influence of COVID-19 on health-related behaviours and the impact of COVID-19 on cancer care pathways. The full meeting report can be found here.

The impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients’ experience

This report summarises the findings from the CRUK patient experience survey (PES), which collected data from 1st May to 28th May 2020. The findings indicate the impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients, and their testing, treatment and care. For many cancer patients the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have had a significant impact on their testing and treatment, and most notably their care. This has resulted in a negative impact on the emotional well-being of many cancer patients whether they were hoping to finish their treatment, find out the results of their test, have their regular screening, or continue with care that could support them, in some cases for the remainder of their life.

Cancer Research UK. Cancer Research UK Cancer Experience Survey 2020: The impact of COVID-19 on Cancer patients in the UK . July 2020. 

Treatment and post diagnosis

Geographic variation in treatment of endometrial Cancer

Our CRUK-PHE partnership team have investigated the geographic variation in the use of lymphonodectomy and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in the treatment of endometrial cancer. Significant variation was found between 19 Cancer Alliances using population level cancer registry data collected between 2013-2016, which is likely due to ambiguity in existing endometrial cancer management guidelines. 

White B, Nordin A, Fry A et al. Geographic variation in the use of lymphadenectomy and external‐beam radiotherapy for endometrial cancer: a cross‐sectional analysis of population‐based data. BJOG 2019 doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.15914

Risk factors and symptom awareness

Smoking prevalence projections 2021

Smoking is the leading cause of cancer and preventable death in the UK. Smoking prevalence has been declining across the UK for some decades, but remains higher in more deprived groups. The UK Government has set a smokefree ambition (to achieve 5% average adult smoking prevalence) for 2030 in England. There is currently no ambition to achieve smokefree in all deprivation groups.

In this report we estimate whether the smokefree 2030 ambition is likely to be realised based on recent trends, and when smokefree will be achieved for each deprivation decile. We have projected average adult smoking prevalence, and smoking prevalence by deprivation decile, for England until 2050. These projections use smoking prevalence data up to 2021, from the Office for National Statistics’ Annual Population Survey.

The results suggest that if recent trends continue, England will not reach smokefree until 2039, and to achieve the 2030 smokefree target, the pace of change needs to be around 70% faster than projected. The most deprived tenth of the population In England may be almost three decades behind the least deprived tenth, in achieving 5% smoking prevalence. This analysis suggests the pace of decline in smoking prevalence has slowed overall, and the deprivation gap has widened, since our previous projections using data to 2018.

Socio-economic deprivation and cancer incidence in England: Quantifying the role of smoking

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable cancer and death in the UK. Deprived populations typically experience higher rates of smoking and cancer incidence. We calculated the proportion and number of smoking-related cancer cases by deprivation quintile in England and modelled how smoking contributes to the deprivation gap for cancer incidence. We found a strong deprivation gradient for the proportion of cancer cases attributable to smoking in England. Our modelling suggests that more than half (61%) of the deprivation gap for cancer incidence could have been prevented if nobody smoked, indicating smoking to be the key driver for cancer incidence inequality in England.

Payne NWS, Brown KF, Delon C et al. Socio-economic deprivation and cancer incidence in England: Quantifying the role of smoking. PLOS ONE 2022 17(9): e0272202

Adult overweight and obesity prevalence projections for the UK

Overweight and obesity is a major risk factor for the leading causes of death in the world and is causally associated with at least 13 different types of cancer. Overweight and obesity prevalence has increased markedly in the UK in recent decades. We provide projections for overweight and obesity prevalence by sex and deprivation quintile in the UK (where possible) and its constituent nations. These projections, based on current trends in nationally representative health surveys, suggest that there could be more people who are obese than healthy weight in the UK by 2040. In England and Scotland, the deprivation gap for obesity between the least and most deprived is projected to increase by more than half.

Patients with non-specific symptoms

The CRUK-PHE partnership have published a paper comparing patients presenting with non-specific but concerning symptoms with patients presenting with more obvious symptoms. Cancer registration data was linked to the National Cancer and Diagnosis Audit (NCDA) data, which has information about primary care for over 17,000 cancers. The work found that patients with non-specific symptoms had longer primary care intervals, more complex diagnostic pathways and were more likely to be diagnosed at stage 4 and after an emergency presentation. This work supports the evaluation of Multi-Disciplinary Centres (MDCs) by the ACE Programme, an early diagnosis imitative supported by CRUK, MacMillan Cancer Support and NHS England.

Pearson C, Poirier V, Fitzgerald K, et al. Cross-sectional study using primary care and cancer registration data to investigate patients with cancer presenting with non-specific symptoms. BMJ Open 2020; 10: e033008. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033008

Cancers attributable to overweight and obesity by deprivation

This report investigates to what extent the proportion of overweight and obesity attributable cancer cases in the UK varies with deprivation. For females, the proportion of cancer cases attributable to overweight and obesity showed a 10-29% relative increase from the least deprived quintile to the most deprived. The deprivation gap was generally much smaller for males. There is a stronger deprivation gradient for obesity prevalence in UK females compared to males, and more overweight and obesity-associated cancer types in females compared to males, which explains the differences observed between sexes.

Cancer Intelligence Team, Cancer Research UK. The fraction of cancer attributable to overweight and obesity by deprivation quintile in the UK . October 2020.

Smoking prevalence projections

UK smoking prevalence has been declining overall for some decades, and ambitions to achieve 5% average adult smoking prevalence (‘smoke-free’) have been set by England for 2030, and Scotland for 2034. These projections, based on current trends in nationally-representative smoking surveys, suggest that 5% average adult smoking prevalence could be reached in 2037 for England and Wales, the late 2040s for Northern Ireland, and after 2050 for Scotland. There could be millions fewer UK smokers than projected in the 2030s, if smoke-free ambitions were achieved; however to do this the pace of change needs to increase markedly in all UK nations. Socioeconomic inequalities are a key concern: the projections indicate that in England, smoke-free could be achieved by the most deprived fifth of the population around 20 years later than in the least-deprived fifth; and in Scotland and Northern Ireland this deprivation gap may be markedly longer.

Cancer Intelligence Team, Cancer Research UK. Smoking prevalence projections for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland based on data to 2018/19 . February 2020.

Smoking trends by occupation group

The proportion of current smokers in the population (smoking prevalence) has been falling for decades in the UK, However a clear deprivation gradient remains: smoking prevalence is around twice as high in routine and manual (R&M) workers compared with managerial and professional (M&P) workers. That gap has widened in recent decades, because smoking prevalence has fallen more slowly among R&M workers compared with M&P workers. This reflects both higher rates of uptake and lower rates of quitting in R&M workers compared with M&P workers. Occupation group is associated with smoking behaviour independent of other characteristics like age, sex, region, education, marital status, ethnicity, alcohol consumption and general perceived health. If the R&M worker population had experienced the same pace of decline in smoking prevalence as the M&P population, there would now be almost a million fewer R&M worker smokers.

Cancer Intelligence Team 2019  Smoking prevalence trends by occupation group in health survey for England

Diagnosis and Screening

Relationship between ethnicity and stage at diagnosis

Our CRUK-NHS E partnership team have evaluated whether certain ethnic groups in England are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage. Reviewing diagnoses of 6 cancer types from 2012-2016 in people belonging to one of 5 ethnic groups, we found that Caribbean, African and Asian women and Caribbean men had increased odds of late-stage disease for certain cancer types compared to the White British cohort. Reasons behind increased late diagnoses may include poorer symptom awareness, delays in seeking help and having to present to the GP multiple times before being referred for tests.

Fry A, White B, Nagarwalla D, et al. Relationship between ethnicity and stage at diagnosis in England: a national analysis of six cancer sites . BMJ Open 2023. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062079

10-Year survival by stage for the East of England

In partnership with the National Cancer Registration Services (NCRAS), we have produced 10 year survival by stage estimates for the East of England. 10 year survival gives cancer patients a more accurate reflection of their long term survival experience and this work focuses on the differences in survival by stage at diagnosis. The work highlights the need for continued efforts to achieve diagnosis at earlier stages to improve longer term cancer outcomes. The results for lung, breast, bowel and prostate cancer are shown indicating 10 year survival is much poorer when diagnosed at the latest stage compared to the earlier stages. More information about the method used and wider range of site estimates produced can be found in this technical report.  

See the infographic here

Diagnostic Intervals in England

Our CRUK-PHE partnership team have calculated diagnostic intervals for the first time for patients of 25 different cancer sites diagnosed in 2014 & 2015. Significant variation in these intervals were found by stage of disease, route to diagnosis and comorbidity score. An online tool demonstrates variation by these and other factors  by cancer site and cancer alliance. A paper describing the methodology and results for colorectal and lung cancer was published in Cancer Epidemiology in June 2019. Two blogs detailed the project, one by CRUK and one at Public Health Matters. 

Pearson C, Fraser J, Peake M. Establishing population-based surveillance of diagnostic timeliness using linked cancer registry and administrative data for patients with colorectal and lung cancer . Cancer Epidemiology 2019.

Cancer in the UK

Cancer in the UK: Overview 2024

This report sets out the key challenges facing cancer services and people affected by cancer. We’ve made huge progress on cancer in the last 50 years, but new analysis indicates that improvements in survival have slowed. This next instalment in the Cancer in the UK series highlights the need for political leadership to deliver long-term solutions to the challenges facing cancer research and care. 

Devolved nation summaries are also available:

Cancer in the UK: Scotland Overview 2024

Cancer in the UK: Wales Overview 2024

Cancer in the UK: Northern Ireland Overview 2024

Cancer in the UK: Overview 2023

This report sets out the top line view of key challenges facing cancer services, and people affected by cancer today, looking at where progress is being made and the many challenges we face. With cancer cases projected to rise, ensuring we have a long term, comprehensive plan for cancer that tackles these challenges and harnesses the opportunities is vital.

This report is a call to action – all of us must come together to make progress in our ambition to beat cancer. People affected by cancer deserve no less.

Cancer in the UK: Scotland Overview 2023

Cancer in the UK: Wales Overview 2023

Cancer in the UK: Northern Ireland Overview 2023

Cancer in the UK: Deprivation and cancer inequalities in Scotland

This report focuses on the impact of deprivation across the cancer pathway in Scotland. Generally, populations with higher deprivation have greater risk factors for cancer, are less aware of symptoms of cancer and report more barriers to seeking help. Their participation in screening programmes is lower and they are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage disease. People from more deprived populations have worse cancer outcomes, including survival. We need to make sure we push to achieve lower levels of cancer risk factors, better engagement with the health system and improved cancer outcomes for everyone and close the deprivation gap, because beating cancer must mean beating it for everyone.

Cancer Intelligence Team, Cancer Research UK. Cancer in the UK: Deprivation and cancer inequalities in Scotland . November 2022.

Cancer in the UK: socio-economic deprivation

This report brings together the available evidence across the UK of inequalities in cancer by socio-economic variation and shows the negative experiences and outcomes that people from more deprived groups experience. Generally, populations with higher deprivation have higher prevalence of cancer risk factors, are less aware of symptoms of cancer and report more barriers to seeking help. Their participation in screening programmes is lower and they have higher proportions of cancer diagnosed through routes with worse survival. People from more deprived populations report worse experiences of care and experience inequalities in treatment options. They have worse outcomes. This report presents the evidence for each part of the cancer pathway with examples from all four UK nations. 

Cancer Intelligence Team, Cancer Research UK. Cancer in the UK 2020: Socio-economic deprivation . September 2020.

Behavioural Science

Obesity Campaign Evaluation

Overweight and obesity’ is the second biggest preventable cause of cancer after smoking. In 2018, Cancer Research UK launched an awareness raising campaign about the link between overweight and obesity and cancer risk. This study aimed to evaluate the reach and impact of the campaign.The campaign consisted of six elements including the main message that ‘Obesity is a cause of cancer’. UK adults and Members of Parliament (MPs) were surveyed before the campaign (W1; n = 2124 and n = 151), 1 month (W2; n = 2050 and n = 151) and 3 months after the campaign (W3; n = 2059 and MPs not surveyed). Outcome measures were campaign reach, awareness of overweight and obesity as risk factors for cancer, attitudes towards individuals who are overweight or obese, support for policies to reduce obesity and reactions to the campaign. This evaluation suggests that the campaign achieved the primary objective of increasing awareness of the link between obesity and cancer without increasing negative attitudes towards individuals who are overweight or obese.

The effect and cost-effectiveness of mass media campaigns on health behaviour change: A narrative systematic review

Mass media campaigns can reach a large number of people with health messages, but it is unclear how effective these are at changing health behaviours. We conducted a narrative review of systematic reviews to examine the impact of mass media campaigns on eight health behaviours, as well as their cost-effectiveness. Specifically, we explored the impact of mass media campaigns on tobacco use, dietary behaviours, alcohol use, physical activity, sun and UV-protection, HPV vaccination, cancer screening uptake, and symptomatic GP presentation. We concluded that mass media campaigns should be used as part of multi-component, community-based interventions and more research is needed to assess the cost-effectiveness of these types of campaign.

View the full report

Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer screening project

This report presents the data from the 2022 Lung Cancer Screening survey, led by Cancer Research UK (CRUK), conducted by YouGov and with the costs of the project covered by ScottishPower.

This piece of research aims to inform CRUK’s work in the lung cancer space. This may include taking action to support possible widespread introduction of targeted lung cancer screening by the NHS. It could also include work to mitigate any unintended consequences of targeted lung screening – such as impact on perceptions of the risk of lung cancer amongst people who have never smoked.

A bespoke survey was conducted to explore public perceptions around lung cancer and its risks, as well as knowledge and perceptions of screening, including eligibility and the impact of screening. This project built on previous work conducted by CRUK in order to optimise development of targeted lung cancer screening and ensure success of any future programme with minimised unintended consequences.

View the report

Cancer Awareness Measure move to online

The Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM) is a survey designed to assess public awareness of cancer warning signs/symptoms, cancer risk factors and barriers to help seeking. Data has been collected every two years from 2008 to 2014 from a representative face to face sample of Great Britain via the Office of National Statistics (ONS) Opinions and Lifestyle Survey.

In 2017, we analysed the extent to which public awareness of cancer and attitudes toward seeking help vary by online and face-to-face data collection methods. Results showed that online participants were more likely to recall cancer warning signs and risk factors and were also more likely to endorse barriers to help seeking than face to face responders. As a result of this analysis CRUK moved the CAM survey online and the first survey wave took place in 2019.

Cancer Intelligence.  Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM) Key Findings Report: Comparing data collected online and face-to-face . October 2019.

Connor K, Hudson B, Power E. Awareness of the Signs, Symptoms, and Risk Factors of Cancer and the Barriers to Seeking Help in the UK: Comparison of Survey Data Collected Online and Face-to-Face. JMIR Cancer 2020;6(1):e14539.

Evaluation: e-cigarette relative harms pilot campaign 2018

An advertising campaign piloted by Cancer Research UK in 2018 aimed to promote quit attempts by increasing awareness of the relative harms of e-cigarettes compared with smoking. A cross-sectional survey evaluation was conducted surveying adults (≥16 years, n = 2217) living in the campaign region and the comparison/control regions. We tested interactions between time (pre, post) and region (campaign, control).

Compared with the control region, the campaign was associated with an increase in smokers’ motivation to quit but a smaller increase in adults’ perception of e-cigarettes as an effective cessation aid. It was identified that using mass media to communicate accurate information about the relative harms of e-cigarettes compared with smoking may be an effective strategy in increasing smokers’ motivation to quit. Further research is needed to evaluate effects on quit attempts and success.

Harry Tattan-Birch, Sarah E Jackson, Charlotte Ide, et al. Evaluation of the Impact of a Regional Educational Advertising Campaign on Harm Perceptions of E-Cigarettes, Prevalence of E-Cigarette Use, and Quit Attempts Among Smokers. Nicotine Tob Res 2019. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntz236

Image of standard packaging on cigarette boxes

In the United Kingdom, standardised packaging for cigarettes was phased in between May 2016 and May 2017. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with current smokers aged 16+ in two regions of England when both standardised and fully-branded packs were available. The study found that standardised packaging was associated with increased warning salience and thoughts about risks and quitting. Specifically, compared with never users, current users were more likely to have noticed the warnings on packs often/very often, read them closely often/very often, thought somewhat/a lot about the health risks of smoking and thought somewhat/a lot about quitting. These findings provided support for standardised packaging during the transition period.

Moodie C, Brose LS, Lee HS et al. How did smokers respond to standardised cigarette packaging with new, larger health warnings in the United Kingdom during the transition period? A cross-sectional online survey .  Addiction Research & Theory 2019.

Cancer awareness training evaluation

CRUK's training (“Talk Cancer”) aims to increase awareness of screening programmes and risk factors, promote more positive beliefs about cancer and increase confidence to discuss cancer with members of the public, among people working across the health service, local government, community and voluntary sectors who are appropriately placed to have these discussions with the public.

The evaluation found that the trainees' more positive beliefs about cancer, their increased confidence in discussing cancer and their increased awareness of bowel cancer screening were all maintained at 2 months.

Roberts A, Crook L, George H etc al. Two-month follow-up evaluation of a cancer awareness training workshop (“Talk Cancer”) on cancer awareness, beliefs and confidence of front-line public health staff and volunteers . Prev Med Rep 2019. 

Exploring public views about delays in cancer screening

This report summarises the findings from an online survey (n=2,115), which contributes to discussions about the ethics of cancer screening in a pandemic situation. It aims to build an understanding of public attitudes towards cancer screening and any potential delays in cancer screening. The majority of participants (86%) wanted to know about any potential delays, and nearly half (48%) would prefer to experience a delay to their invitation over other parts of the screening pathway. The earlier in the pathway a delay is experienced the less anxiety participants anticipated. 

This report supports a strategic delaying of cancer screening invitations under the proviso it ensures a shorter wait for follow-up tests and treatment. Ethical considerations about screening should include an emphasis on allowing the public to make an informed decision on their participation.

Exploring public attitudes towards the new Faster Diagnosis Standard for cancer

An exploration into public attitudes towards the new Faster Diagnosis Standard for cancer, due to be introduced in England in 2020, within the context of a patients’ recent referral experiences.

It found that waiting for test results and responsibility for meeting the standard were the main concerns and it was concluded that patients should be asked what they would like to know about their referral and that GPs should be more transparent about the referral process and the potential for a lack of clarity around next steps.

Piano M, Black G, Amelung D et al. Exploring public attitudes towards the new Faster Diagnosis Standard for cancer: a focus group study with the UK public . Br J Gen Pract 2019.

Want to generate bespoke preventable cancers stats statements? Download our  interactive statement generator.

A theory and evidence-based redevelopment of a tool to support behaviour change

Research shows that leading a healthy lifestyle can help prevent cancer. Further, diagnosing cancer at an early stage can increase survival rates. Cancer Research UK (CRUK)'s nurse-led outreach activity supports cancer prevention, early diagnosis and screening in deprived community settings. CRUK developed a habit-based behaviour change tool to support this activity and better enable conversations about behaviour change. 

Cancer Research UK’s Patient Survey 2021

Mass media campaigns can reach a large number of people with health messages, but it is unclear how effective these are at changing health behaviours. We conducted a narrative review of systematic reviews to examine the impact of mass media campaigns on eight health behaviours, as well as their cost-effectiveness. Specifically, we explored the impact of mass media campaigns on tobacco use, dietary behaviours, alcohol use, physical activity, sun and UV-protection, HPV vaccination, cancer screening uptake, and symptomatic GP presentation. We concluded that mass media campaigns should be used as part of multi-component, community-based interventions and more research is needed to assess the cost-effectiveness of these types of campaign. This report summarises the key findings from the CRUK Patient Survey, which collected data from December 2020 to March 2021. Findings are from patients who share their stories and experiences and give an indication of the impact COVID-19 has had on their testing, treatment and care. New data on remote consultations and COVID-19 safety measures have been collected.

The barriers to timely cancer diagnosis and treatment identified by people affected by cancer in this report are not an entirely new phenomenon that have emerged only in the pandemic. Even before COVID-19, cancer services were on the verge of crisis, and the vast majority of patients surveyed supported governments taking steps required to make expanding capacity in cancer services a reality.

Evaluating the impact of a community-based cancer awareness roadshow on awareness, attitudes and behaviors

Improving public awareness of cancer and encouraging health behavior change are important aspects of cancer control. We investigated whether a community-based roadshow was an effective way of communicating with the public about cancer and encouraging behavior change. Data were from 1196 people who completed questionnaires at a Cancer Research UK Cancer Awareness Roadshow in 2013. Of these, 511 (43%) completed questionnaires immediately before their visit (pre-visit group) and 685 (57%) completed questionnaires immediately after their visit (post-visit group). Among the post-visit sample, 217 (32%) were retained after two months. Self-reported data were available on risk factor and symptom awareness, help-seeking barriers, use of healthcare services and health behaviors. Compared with the pre-visit sample, the post-visit group had greater awareness of cancer risk factors and was more positive about aspects of help-seeking but awareness of potential symptoms was similar. Most effects were maintained over two months. Intentions to eat more fruit and vegetables and to exercise more were comparable between the groups but more people in the post-visit sample intended to quit smoking. At 2-month follow-up, smoking prevalence had significantly reduced but fruit and vegetable consumption decreased and there was no change to physical activity. User of weight loss services and general practitioner visits were high at follow-up and largely attributed to the Roadshow. The Cancer Research UK Roadshow appears to improve risk factor awareness, promote positive attitudes towards help-seeking and increase smoking cessation. This approach could be a useful building block for additional cancer prevention and control strategies.

View the full report 

What Drives Public Perceptions of E-cigarettes?

Despite growing evidence that e-cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes, perceptions of equal or more harm have increased worldwide. This study aimed to identify the most common reasons behind people’s perceptions of the (i) relative harm of e-cigarettes compared with cigarettes and (ii) effectiveness of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation.

View the full report here

Cancer symptom experience and help-seeking behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK

Objectives  To understand self-reported potential cancer symptom help-seeking behaviours and attitudes during the first 6 months (March–August 2020) of the UK COVID-19 pandemic.

Design  UK population-based survey conducted during August and September 2020. Correlates of help-seeking behaviour were modelled using logistic regression in participants reporting potential cancer symptoms during the previous 6 months. Qualitative telephone interviews with a purposeful subsample of participants, analysed thematically.

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Intentions to participate in cervical and colorectal cancer screening during the COVID-19 pandemic

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• Open access
• Published: 22 June 2023

Welcome to BJC Reports

• Marc Tischkowitz 1  

BJC Reports volume  1 , Article number:  3 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

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A Publisher Correction to this article was published on 05 April 2024

This article has been updated

It is my great pleasure to be part of the launch of a new sister journal to the British Journal of Cancer , BJC Reports . The British Journal of Cancer ( BJC ) is an esteemed journal that has been publishing in the field of cancer research for more than seven decades. During that time, we have seen enormous advances, yet there is still much to do. The idea of a sister journal to the BJC originated from the observation that many quality submissions to the BJC end up being rejected due to its threshold. Our aim with BJC Reports is to provide a fast and efficient avenue for publication of such manuscripts so that they can also benefit from the reputation and superb resource behind the BJC .

Most researchers will be aware of the explosion in journals over recent years and you may ask is there really need for another cancer journal? Much has been achieved since Richard Nixon announced the war on cancer over half a century ago. Despite this progress, the overall burden of cancer increases as the population gets older as more cancers are diagnosed in lower income countries due to changes in demographics and lifestyle habits. There is much work still to do in these areas and in those cancers, such as pancreas, where the survival rates remain disappointingly low.

Over that time there has been more than a twelvefold increase in the annual number of cancer-related published articles with a trend away from focusing on positive results in subscription-only journals to wider and faster dissemination of all relevant and robust findings (both positive and negative) in fully open access journals. Our aim is for BJC Reports to be part of shaping that trend over the next half century of cancer research which promises to be even more exciting than the previous 50 years, driven by huge advances in data science, artificial intelligence/machine learning, genomics and immunotherapies. Through the close relationship with the BJC , there is excellent potential to develop a strong sister journal and thereby enhance the potential for publication of high-quality research.

With BJC Reports we aim to provide a fast and efficient review process allowing publications, if accepted, to be rapidly published . BJC Reports is a 100% open access journal which is increasingly important in these days of data democracy.

Anyone familiar with the world of scientific publication will be aware of the unchecked growth predatory journals over the last decade that have a malign influence over the field. Those irritating emails from these journals that don’t quite make it to your junk folder can be easily dismissed by experienced researchers but can be confusing to those starting out in the field—a few times I’ve had students asking me for advice about this when their inbox gets bombarded following their first publication. Some of these journals have websites that look plausible, but on careful inspection it becomes evident that they are fronted by a rogue publisher. How can the author or reader tell what is real and what is fake, especially if the journal is new? Most of the time this will become apparent when looking at the editorial board and publishing house behind the journal. At BJC Reports we are fortunate to be supported by the huge resources of Springer Nature, one of the largest and best scientific publishers, whose extensive experience will underpin the success of this new journal.

As well as publishing important new research findings, we will foster a strong educational component to the journal. We will encourage not just general reviews but also mini-reviews focusing on a particular question or controversy in cancer. This will be an opportunity for leaders and newcomers to the field to challenge established dogma or to put forward new hypotheses which will generate debate and discussion. Another angle we would like to promote is the idea of case-based reviews, where a specific controversy in management or treatment is used as an example to drill down to the data behind that question. All too often assumptions are made in management of cancers because they have always been that way but when one looks at the data behind those assumptions it is often based on old studies that may have been flawed. An example in my own field was the long-standing idea that risk reducing salpingo-oophorectomy in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers also led to a reduction in the risk of breast cancer. This dogma was established following the publication of convincing studies in the mid-2000s but these were questioned 10 years later when new, contrary findings led researchers to revisit the statistical methodology used at the time.

So please reach out to me with your exciting manuscripts, perspectives, ideas for reviews, collections, and suggestions for areas that you would like BJC Reports to focus on. Together we can grow BJC Reports into a cutting-edge journal that befits the depth and breadth of the astonishing world of cancer research we are all privileged to be part of.

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A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44276-024-00040-2

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Many Cancer Drugs Still Unproven 5 Years After Accelerated Approval

By Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, April 8, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- New research questions the effectiveness of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's accelerated drug approval program after finding that many cancer drugs remain unproven five years later.

The study, published Sunday in the Journal of the American Medical Association and presented simultaneously at the American Association of Cancer Research's annual meeting in San Diego, found that 46 cancer drugs were granted accelerated approval between 2013 and 2017.

Of those, 41% showed no benefit after five years of follow-up. And of the 63% that were converted to regular approval, less than half (43%) demonstrated any clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.

“Five years after the initial accelerated approval, you should have a definitive answer,” Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel , a cancer specialist and bioethicist at the University of Pennsylvania who was not involved in the study, told the Associated Press . “Thousands of people are getting those drugs. That seems a mistake if we don’t know whether they work or not.”

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First created in 1992 to get new HIV drugs to desperate patients as quickly as possible, more than 80% of the program's accelerated approvals now go to cancer drugs, researchers found.

The program allows the FDA to grant early approval to drugs that show promising results for treating debilitating or fatal diseases. In exchange, drug companies are expected to do rigorous testing and produce better evidence before gaining full approval.

When it comes to withdrawing disappointing drugs from the market, the FDA or the drug company makes that call. Sometimes, the FDA has decided that less definitive evidence is good enough for a full approval, the AP reported.

Meanwhile, it’s not clear how much cancer patients understand about drugs with accelerated approval, study co-author Dr. Edward Scheffer Cliff , of Harvard Medical School, told the AP .

“We raise the question: Is that uncertainty being conveyed to patients?” Cliff said.

Still, drugs that got accelerated approval may be the only option for patients with rare or advanced cancers, Dr. Jennifer Litton , of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, told the AP .

It’s important for doctors to carefully explain the evidence, Litton said.

“It might be shrinking of tumor. It might be how long the tumor stays stable,” Litton told the AP . “You can provide the data you have, but you shouldn’t overpromise.”

The accelerated approval program recently got some updates from Congress that gave the FDA more authority and streamlined the process for withdrawing drugs when companies don’t meet their commitments, the AP reported.

Those changes allow the agency “to withdraw approval for a drug approved under accelerated approval, when appropriate, more quickly,” FDA spokesperson Cherie Duvall-Jones told the AP .

More information

The FDA has more on the its accelerated approval program .

SOURCES: Journal of the American Medical Association , April 7, 2024; Associated Press

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Area students explore research careers during UVM Cancer Center visit

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Area high school students interested in a career in health care had the opportunity to talk with student researchers and scientists as part of a University of Vermont Cancer Center event Friday, allowing them to step out of the classroom and into a real medical lab.

Over 75 students from five high schools attended the Careers in Cancer event at the UVM Cancer Center. Students heard from guest speakers and learned about career and research pathways in oncology.

“Students have been walking through the basic research laboratories. This is something that they really don’t get exposed to in their high school education,” said the center’s Randall Holcombe.

Students looked at cancer cells, observed specialized lab equipment, and witnessed demonstrations on growing and visualizing crystals to understand protein structures.

Natalie Dzessou, a sophomore at Winooski High School, says she’s interested in the medical field and events like this help her figure out what branch she wants to work in. “I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do so I’ve just been coming to events like this and seeing what I’d like to do,” she said.

Mea Ree Jan, a junior at WHS, plans to pursue a career in cancer research and wants to aid in medical breakthroughs. “I like experiencing what a day in the life of someone working in this kind of environment was and it got me more interested because I like the kind of slow pace,” she said.

And Holcombe says it’s just that kind of generating of interest the event was designed for. “There’s a critical shortage of cancer doctors across the country and that is particularly severe in states with very large rural populations like Vermont,” he said.

It was UVM’s second Careers in Cancer event.

Copyright 2024 WCAX. All rights reserved.

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American Association for Cancer Research Inaugurates New Leadership During AACR Annual Meeting 2024

Patricia m. lorusso, do, phd (hc), faacr, begins term as aacr president.

SAN DIEGO – The members of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) have welcomed Patricia M. LoRusso, DO, PhD (hc), Fellow of the AACR Academy, as the AACR President for 2024-2025. She was inaugurated today at the AACR’s Annual Business Meeting of Members, held during the AACR Annual Meeting 2024 in San Diego, California.

LoRusso is a professor of medicine (medical oncology), chief of experimental therapeutics, associate cancer center director for experimental therapeutics, and leader of the Phase I disease aligned research team at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital. An internationally recognized expert in drug development and early-phase clinical investigation of novel therapies, LoRusso’s innovative and tireless leadership has helped shape the field of translational and clinical cancer research and has greatly contributed to crucial therapeutic breakthroughs for patients with cancer.

“I am extremely honored to have the opportunity to serve as AACR President for the coming year,” said LoRusso. “This is an exciting time for cancer research and cancer care delivery, but we are facing challenges as well. Clinical research must keep pace with the unparalleled scientific discoveries that we are achieving if we are to continue to reduce suffering and mortality from cancer. Moreover, we must ensure that all patients have access to clinical trials. If we do this, we will change the face of cancer. I look forward working with my fellow AACR members to promote the AACR’s mission and advocate for the support of cancer research—all with an eye to improving the care we provide for patients with cancer.”

LoRusso joined the AACR in 1988 and was elected as a Fellow of the AACR Academy in 2023. She served on the AACR Board of Directors from 2015 to 2018 and received the AACR-Joseph H. Burchenal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cancer Research in 2022. She currently serves with distinction as chair of the AACR Exploratory IND/Biomarker-Driven Clinical Trials Task Force; cochair of the AACR Precision Combination Therapy Task Force; member of the AACR Global Affairs Committee; member of the AACR Annual Meeting Clinical Trials Committee; and ex officio member of the AACR Finance and Audit Committee. She has been a member of the AACR Project GENIE External Advisory Board since its inception in 2015.

LoRusso’s extensive involvement with the AACR has also included serving as a chair (2022-2023) and member (2021-2022) of the AACR-Margaret Foti Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research Award Committee; chair of the AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report Steering Committee (2022); member, AACR Education and Training Committee (2019-2022); member, AACR Nominating Committee (2019-2021); chair (2019-2020) and member (2018-2019), AACR Satellite Educational Symposia Committee; member, AACR June L. Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism Judging Panel (2017-2020); member, AACR Continuing Medical Education Committee (2012-2014, 2017-2020); vice chair (2018-2019) and cochair (2013-2014, 2016-2017), AACR Annual Meeting Program Committee; member, AACR Science Policy and Government Affairs Committee (2016-2019); codirector (2016-2018) and faculty member (2004, 2005, 2009-2012), AACR/ASCO Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop; faculty member, AACR Educational Workshop, “Australia & Asia Pacific Clinical Oncology Research Development” (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018); member, AACR Cancer Progress Report Steering Committee (2017); chair (2016-2017) and member (2012-2015), AACR Women in Cancer Research Council; chair, AACR Team Science Award Committee (2016-2017); cochair, AACR Annual Meeting Clinical Trials Committee (2012-2015); member, AACR Annual Meeting Exhibits Committee (2012-2014); member, AACR Clinical Research and Experimental Therapeutics Awards Selection Committee (2007-2009, 2012-2014); member, AACR-Joseph H. Burchenal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cancer Research Committee (2007-2009); member, AACR-Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation Award Committee (2007-2009); member, Scientific Review Committee, Second Annual International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development (2007); member, AACR-Women in Cancer Research Charlotte Friend Lectureship Committee (2006); and member, Scientific Program Committee, AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics (2003-2005).

LoRusso served on the editorial boards of the AACR journals Molecular Cancer Therapeutics (2012-2015) and Clinical Cancer Research (2011-2014). She was also coleader of the Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C)-Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) Melanoma Dream Team. The AACR serves as the Scientific Partner of Stand Up To Cancer.

Throughout her career, LoRusso has received numerous honors and awards, including the World Affairs Council of Connecticut Luminary Award (2018); National Organization of Italian-American Women “Three Wise Women” honoree (2017); Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center the one hundred honoree (2014); ESMO Targeted Anticancer Therapies (TAT) Honorary Award (2014); Michigan State University Distinguished Alumni Award (2014); Karmanos Cancer Institute Faculty Award for Clinical Excellence (2013); American College of Osteopathic Internists Researcher of the Year Award (2010); National Cancer Institute Michaele Christian Oncology Development Award (2008); Crain’s Detroit Business Heroes of Healthcare Award (2008); Marygrove College Distinguished Alumni Award (2008); Top Doctors honoree (2007, 2009, 2011-2013, 2018); and the Michigan Society for Medical Research Bennett J. Cohen Educational Leadership Award for Medical Research (2004). LoRusso received an honorary PhD from Michigan State University in 2015 and was elected as a fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 2022.

LoRusso received her undergraduate degree from Marygrove College and her medical degree from Michigan State University. Prior to her Yale appointment, she served in numerous leadership roles at Wayne State University’s Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, including as director of the Phase I Clinical Trials Program and of the Eisenberg Center for Translational Therapeutics. 

ADDITIONAL LEADERSHIP CHANGES

Aacr president-elect.

Lillian L. Siu, MD, FAACR, was elected the AACR President-Elect for 2024-2025 . She will assume the Presidency in April 2025 at the AACR Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois. Siu is a senior medical oncologist, director of the Phase I Clinical Trials Program, codirector of the Robert and Maggie Bras and Family Drug Development Program, clinical lead for the Tumor Immunotherapy Program, and the BMO Chair in Precision Cancer Genomics at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network. She is also a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto.

Immediate Past President

Philip D. Greenberg, MD, FAACR, will serve as the Immediate Past President of the AACR for 2024-2025. Greenberg is the Rona Jaffe Foundation Endowed Chair and professor and head of the Program in Immunology, Clinical Research Division, at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

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