Cancer incidence and mortality worldwide (review)

Abstract

Background. Cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. this review analyzes global cancer incidence and mortality rates for 2022 and their association with the Human Development Index (HDI). Material and Methods. The methodology involved a search of the PubMed and eLibrary.ru databases using keywords such as “human potential index”, “cancer incidence worldwide”, “cancer mortality worldwide”, “epidemiology of cancer”, “risk factors affecting cancer”, “Global cancer statistics”. From the relevant articles published between 2019 and 2025, 39 were selected for writing the review. Results. In 2022, there were an estimated 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million cancer-related deaths worldwide. The most common cancer sites in terms of incidence and mortality were lung, breast, colon, and liver cancers. among men, cancer of the trachea, bronchi, lung, and prostate predominated; among women, breast cancer was most common. The highest incidence rates especially for gastrointestinal cancers were heavily concentrated in Eastern and Central Asia. The analysis revealed regional disparities. in countries with a high HDI, elevated cancer incidence rates are linked to advanced health care systems and aging population. in low- and medium-HDI countries, the gap between incidence and mortality is small due to the limited access to healthcare, leading to underdiagnosis and low life expectancy. Conclusion. The projected increase in cancer incidence requires healthcare modernization. in high-HDI countries, the increase is driven by a “Western” lifestyle, while in developing countries, the burden of infection-associated cancers remains high. The strategy for reducing the cancer burden should include prevention, universal access to screening and treatment, and monitoring of indicators to assess the effectiveness of measures.