More Men Are Dying From Cancer. A New Study Helps Explain Why
- Information about the global cancer incidence in males is currently limited.
- A new study investigates 30 cancer types in males and makes projected prevalence and mortality estimates for 2050.
- The researchers found the number of cancer cases and deaths in males could increase significantly over the next few decades, by 84% and 93% respectively.
Recent studies have shown stark increases in cancer cases across both younger and older demographics.
New research published August 12 in the journal CancerTrusted Source predicts that from 2022—2050, global cases of cancer in males will increase from 10.3 million to 19 million — an increase of around 84%.
Similarly, they predict that deaths from cancer in males will increase from 5.4 million to 10.5 million. In males ages 65 and older, the increase in cancer deaths will more than double.
According to the study, these increases are most pronounced in regions with low and medium Human Development Index (HDI), a metric that includes information about life expectancy, education level, and per capita income.
The authors calculate that globally, cancer cases and deaths will increase among working-age males by around 39%, and in regions with “very high” HDI scores, like the United States, they will increase by around 50%.
Cancer rates in males higher than females
Previous researchTrusted Source has shown that the cancer incidence rate in males is 19% higher than in females, globally. Cancer death rates are also 43% higher in males.
Tingting Tan, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist and hematologist at City of Hope Newport Beach, CA, who was not involved in the study, told Healthine there’s a “1 in 2 chance a man will be diagnosed in his lifetime while a woman has a 1 in 3 chance.”
Although experts have investigated this disparity, most studies to date focused on just one form of cancer, one specific age group, or one geographical area.
The latest study, however, calculates the rates of 30 cancer types in all age groups, globally.
The scientists examined cancer incidence and death rates in 2022 and predicted how these numbers may change by the year 2050.
