Global status report on cancer 2026: the future we choose together

Overview

The Global status report on cancer 2026: the future we choose together provides a comprehensive assessment of the global burden of cancer, progress in cancer prevention and control, and the systemic challenges that continue to limit equitable outcomes. Presenting new data on the burden of disease, the capacity of health systems to respond, and the lived experiences of people affected by cancer, the report examines trends in incidence, mortality, survival, risk factors and health system performance, as well as the human, social and economic consequences of cancer. It reviews implementation across the cancer continuum, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, palliative care and survivorship, highlighting persistent disparities between and within countries and the gap between ambition and action.

The report analyses the factors that drive progress and those that impede effective implementation, emphasizing the importance of integrated, people-centred approaches, universal health coverage, robust monitoring systems and meaningful engagement of affected communities. It highlights the coexistence of scientific advances and persistent inequities in who benefits from them and proposes a framework for future action based on three strategic shifts – better capabilities, better protections and better value. Seven recommendations guide governments, international organizations and other stakeholders in strengthening cancer control and advancing more equitable outcomes worldwide.