• NICRAT applauds Tinubu over N302.3b approval for cancer institute

Globocan report has revealed that the global cancer burden is rising sharply, with 20.6 million new cases and 9.8 million deaths recorded worldwide in 2024.

It also showed that deep inequalities in prevention, early detection, treatment, and cancer surveillance continue to leave millions at risk.

The latest estimates by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the World Health Organisation’s specialised cancer agency, also projected that annual new cancer cases could rise to 34 million by 2050, a 67 per cent increase from 2024, while cancer deaths could climb to 17.5 million, nearly 80 per cent higher than the current level.

The estimates, contained in the new GLOBOCAN 2024 report, were released as IARC marked its 60th anniversary and provide a comprehensive picture of cancer incidence and mortality across countries, regions, age groups and sexes.

According to the report, 10.6 million of the 20.6 million new cases recorded in 2024 occurred among men and 10 million among women.

Men accounted for 56 per cent of the estimated 9.8 million cancer deaths, while women accounted for 44 per cent.

Commenting on the report, Head of the Cancer Surveillance Branch at IARC, Freddie Bray, said the figures reflected the disproportionate impact of cancer on men.

The report also revealed striking geographical disparities in the global cancer burden, driven by population size, ageing, exposure to risk factors and unequal access to prevention and care.

MEANWHILE, the Director General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu, has applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving N302.3 billion for the design, construction and equipping of a flagship National Cancer Institute, stressing that the project, when completed, will strengthen cancer research, treatment, innovation, capacity building and also provide world-class cancer services in Nigeria.

In a statement yesterday in Abuja, Aliyu noted that the approval of the project, expected to be completed within 36 months, is a clear “demonstration of care and concern for the health and general well-being of all Nigerians by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government.

Aliyu recalled that over the years, cancer has remained a nightmare to most Nigerians, adding that successive governments could not demonstrate the capacity to address issues around the dearth of cancer diagnosis, treatment and research in the country.

He described the approval as a game-changer with immense benefits to Nigeria and Nigerians in many ways.

“Chief among the benefits is that the project will drastically reduce medical tourism by Nigerians affected by cancer. This is because Nigeria loses millions of dollars annually to other countries as many Nigerians travel to those countries for more sophisticated cancer diagnosis and treatment,” he said.