All Cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer)
Estimated Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide in 2012
Estimated numbers (thousands) |
Men |
Women |
Both sexes |
||||||
Cases |
Deaths |
5-year prev. |
Cases |
Deaths |
5-year prev. |
Cases |
Deaths |
5-year prev. |
|
World |
7427 |
4653 |
15362 |
6663 |
3548 |
17182 |
14090 |
8201 |
32545 |
More developed regions |
3244 |
1591 |
8616 |
2832 |
1287 |
8297 |
6076 |
2878 |
16913 |
Less developed regions |
4184 |
3062 |
6747 |
3831 |
2261 |
8885 |
8014 |
5323 |
15632 |
WHO Africa region (AFRO) |
265 |
205 |
468 |
381 |
250 |
895 |
645 |
456 |
1363 |
WHO Americas region (PAHO) |
1454 |
677 |
3843 |
1429 |
618 |
4115 |
2882 |
1295 |
7958 |
WHO East Mediterranean region (EMRO) |
263 |
191 |
461 |
293 |
176 |
733 |
555 |
367 |
1194 |
WHO Europe region (EURO) |
1987 |
1080 |
4857 |
1750 |
852 |
4933 |
3737 |
1932 |
9790 |
WHO South-East Asia region (SEARO) |
816 |
616 |
1237 |
908 |
555 |
2041 |
1724 |
1171 |
3278 |
WHO Western Pacific region (WPRO) |
2642 |
1882 |
4493 |
1902 |
1096 |
4464 |
4543 |
2978 |
8956 |
IARC membership (24 countries) |
3706 |
1900 |
9259 |
3354 |
1570 |
9425 |
7060 |
3470 |
18684 |
United States of America |
825 |
324 |
2402 |
779 |
293 |
2373 |
1604 |
617 |
4775 |
China |
1823 |
1429 |
2496 |
1243 |
776 |
2549 |
3065 |
2206 |
5045 |
India |
477 |
357 |
665 |
537 |
326 |
1126 |
1015 |
683 |
1790 |
European Union (EU-28) |
1446 |
715 |
3759 |
1211 |
560 |
3487 |
2657 |
1276 |
7246 |
At a glance
There were 14.1 million new cancer cases, 8.2 million cancer deaths and 32.6 million people living with cancer (within 5 years of diagnosis) in 2012 worldwide. 57% (8 million) of new cancer cases, 65% (5.3 million) of the cancer deaths and 48% (15.6 million) of the 5-year prevalent cancer cases occurred in the less developed regions.
The overall age standardized cancer incidence rate is almost 25% higher in men than in women, with rates of 205 and 165 per 100,000, respectively. Male incidence rates vary almost five-fold across the different regions of the world, with rates ranging from 79 per 100,000 in Western Africa to 365 per 100,000 in Australia/New Zealand (with high rates of prostate cancer representing a significant driver of the latter).
There is less variation in female incidence rates (almost three-fold) with rates ranging from 103 per 100,000 in South-Central Asia to 295 per 100,000 in Northern America.
In terms of mortality, there is less regional variability than for incidence, the rates being 15% higher in more developed than in less developed regions in men, and 8% higher in women.
In men, the rates is highest in Central and Eastern Europe (173 per 100,000) and lowest in Western Africa (69). In contrast, the highest rates in women are in Melanesia (119) and Eastern Africa (111), and the lowest in Central America (72) and South-Central (65) Asia.