THE cancers represent the leading cause of death in men and the second in women, recalls Public Health France. In metropolitan France, in 2023, there were 245,610 new cases of cancer in men and 187,526 in women, according to Health Insurance. In men, the most common cancers are the one from the prostatethen the lung, and le cancer colorectal.
A study published on August 12, 2024 in the journal Cancer was interested in global burden of male cancers and their possible evolution by 2050. According to the authors of this work, there was little complete data on the subject until now, taking into account disparities by age group and by country. To do this, the scientists analyzed 30 types of cancer in men in 2022 using data from the Global Cancer Observatory, which includes national estimates of cancer cases and deaths for 185 countries worldwide, then they established projections for 2050 from demographic forecasts.
Cancers: the number of male cases could increase by 84% by 2050 according to scientists
At the end of the study, the researchers noted: disparities in cancer cases and deaths by age and economic status countries, which they predict will be even more pronounced in 2050. Indeed, they estimated that between 2022 and 2050, the number of cancer cases should increase from 10.3 million to 19 million, i.e. an increase of 84%. On the side deathsthey expect them to grow from 5.4 million to 10.5 million, or an increase of 93%with in particular a multiplication by more than 2 among men aged over 65 and in territories with a low or average human development index.
Why would men be more exposed to cancer than women? Scientists point out that this is due to various factors, such as the fact that they participate less in prevention activities, to screeningsor to treatments, and that they are more exposed to certain cancer risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumptionor even occupational exposure to carcinogenic substances.
Results that should encourage action to prevent male cancers worldwide
According to the researchers, these results show that urgent action is needed to ensure fairness in prevention and cancer treatment in men worldwide. “National and international collaboration, as well as a coordinated multisectoral approach, are essential to improve current cancer outcomes and to reverse the projected increase in the burden of cancer disease by 2050“, said Habtamu Mellie Bizuayehu, one of the authors of this work, in a statement. He added that “Focus should be on countries with low or medium human development indexes and high unmet needs for cancer services despite a high disease burden“According to the scientist, these actions should concern prevention, screening, diagnosis and cancer treatmentparticularly for older men, which could improve cancer outcomes and equity.
Sources :
- Burden of 30 cancers among men: Global statistics in 2022 and projections for 2050 using population-based estimates – CANCER – 12 aout 2024
- Global study predicts increases in cancer cases and deaths among men, with widening disparities based on age and countries’ economic status – EurekAlert! – 12 aout 2024
- Cancer: definition, development process and frequency – Ameli.fr
- Cancers – Public Health France
