4 reasons men's cancer-related deaths are expected to double

You may have heard the news that in February, the World Health Organization estimated that by 2050 there will be more than 35 million new cancer cases, a whopping 77 percent increase from the 20 million new cases they predicted in 2022.

Now, the news has gotten even more dismal — at least for men.

That’s because according to research published in the journal Cancer, by the same date, cancer deaths in men are expected to rise almost 100 percent.

Yup, you read that right…

By 2050, it’s expected that almost double the number of men will die due to cancer.

Here’s why…

Fueling the cancer surge

The research, using data from the Global Cancer Observatory, analyzed more than 30 different types of cancer across 185 countries and territories worldwide.

Not only do their findings indicate that men’s incidents of cancer will to jump by 84 percent by the time 2050 rolls around, it’s estimated that the number of men who die from cancer will skyrocket by 93 percent.

Factors that the WHO says are at play in this massive surge include:

Population aging
Changes to people’s exposure to environmental risk factors, with air pollution a key concern
Tobacco and alcohol use
Obesity

Additionally, the researchers say that men may tend to participate less frequently in cancer prevention activities and underuse early screening metods and treatments, which could lead to poorer outcomes.

Tips to reduce cancer risk in men

There’s already a huge amount of research that proves there are ways to avoid cancer and stay healthier longer.

In fact, the American Cancer Society announced five modifiable factors that could reduce up to 50 percent of cancers. They are a great place to start, but here are a few more since cancer is nothing to leave to chance…

Taking vitamin D daily – The VITAL study found daily supplementation of vitamin D reduced development of advanced cancer by 38 percent and reduced cancer mortality by 12 percent.
Cutting out saturated fats – Lung cancer is the top cancer killer of men (prostate is 2^nd). A study including 98,000 people found a 24 percent lower risk of lung cancer in people who had the lowest amount of fat in their diets. The reduction was even greater for smokers at 29 percent.
Eating less red meat – Red meat has been shown to cause carcinogenic compounds in the colon that eating chicken, fish or plant-based diets don’t.
Just saying no to ultra-processed foods – Research involving 200,000 people found that men who ate ready-to-eat, meat-based products, like fish sticks, chicken nuggets and frozen burgers were more likely to end up with colon cancer.
Drinking green tea – Studies have shown that men who drink green tea regularly are less likely to develop prostate cancer, the 2^nd leading cause of cancer deaths in men.
Eating fermented foods – Fermented dairy products like yogurt, Greek yogurt, sour cream and kefir help balance your gut microbiome, which has been shown to reduce the risk of several kinds of cancer, including prostate.