By Nityaasini Sivagami
8 FEBRUARY: Recent studies reveal alarming cancer trends, urging global action, especially among youth. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports a rise in lung cancer among non-smokers, with air pollution as a major cause. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) found lung cancer in non-smokers is now the fifth leading cause of cancer death globally, with 200,000 cases in 2022 linked to air pollution. Adenocarcinoma, the most common lung cancer subtype, now accounts for 45.6% of male cases and 59.7% of female cases, rising since 2020.
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, with 2.5 million new cases in 2022. Meanwhile, a report from Apollo Hospitals, India, warns of an impending cancer crisis due to rising non-communicable diseases, pre-diabetes, hypertension, and mental health issues. India’s cancer cases could reach 1.57 million by 2025, with breast, cervical, and ovarian cancers most common in women, and lung, mouth, and prostate cancers prevalent in men.
Unlike global trends, Indian women face higher cancer rates than men, with younger populations developing cancer earlier than peers in the U.S., U.K., and China. A BMJ Oncology study highlights a dramatic rise in early-onset cancers among those aged 15-49 since 1990, signaling a worsening global health crisis.
