Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Cancer cases in Africa increased by 229 per cent between 1990 and 2023, rising from an estimated 467,000 cases in 1990 to 1.54 million cases in 2023, according to a new study set to be published in The Lancet Oncology.
The study, based on findings from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 study, estimated that cancer accounted for 923,000 deaths and 33.94 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) across all ages and both sexes in Africa in 2023.
Breast, cervical, prostate, liver and colorectal cancers were identified as the leading cancer types by incidence among both sexes and across all age groups in 2023.
Among women, breast and cervical cancers accounted for 45.9 per cent of all cancer deaths, while prostate, liver, tracheal, bronchus and lung, and colorectal cancers together accounted for 51.2 per cent of cancer deaths among men.
The study scheduled for publication in The Lancet Oncology on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, also highlighted the disproportionate burden of cancer among African children.
In 2023, an estimated 104,000 cancer cases occurred among children and adolescents aged 0 to 19 years in Africa, resulting in about 54,700 deaths.
The burden was also substantial among younger and middle-aged adults, with people aged 15 to 39 accounting for 26.6 per cent of total cancer DALYs in Africa, while those aged 40 to 64 accounted for 44.8 per cent.
According to the study, behavioural risk factors accounted for the largest share of cancer deaths in Africa at 27 per cent, followed by metabolic risks at 5.9 per cent and environmental and occupational risks at 2.9 per cent.
Unsafe sex, tobacco use, dietary risks and high body-mass index were identified among the leading risk factors for cancer deaths for both sexes combined in 2023.
About the Author
Hope Ajayi 
