Urgent, Coordinated Global Action on Lung Cancer

The report highlights that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths globally, killing 1.8 million people annually. It warns that without coordinated action, deaths could increase by 30% by 2030. The document provides recommendations across three workstreams: early detection and screening, quality of care, and finance and infrastructure, emphasizing that early-stage diagnosis significantly improves five-year survival rates from under 10% to as high as 92%.

• Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, causing 1.8 million deaths per year as of 2020. In the absence of coordinated global action, annual deaths are projected to increase by approximately 30% by 2030, which would add roughly 550,000 deaths per year compared to 2020 levels.
• Early detection dramatically improves patient outcomes; five-year survival rates range from 68% to 92% for stage one disease, compared to less than 10% for stage four. Furthermore, treating patients diagnosed at an early stage was found to be two to four times less expensive than treating those with advanced disease in 2017.
• The report recommends that countries prioritize lung cancer early detection and implement uniform screening protocols. It specifically identifies high-risk populations as individuals aged 50 or older with a smoking history of 20 or more pack-years. It also urges the removal of barriers for marginalized and underserved populations, noting that travel and socioeconomic status often hinder screening uptake.
• To improve quality of care, the document recommends reducing the time between first patient interaction and treatment initiation. It suggests adopting multidisciplinary team (MDT) approaches to reduce variations in care and investing in telehealth to decrease disparities, noting that 70% of the world's radiotherapy hubs are concentrated in high-income countries.
• Lung cancer imposes a severe economic burden, representing 15% of total cancer economic costs. In Europe, it accounts for nearly 25% of productivity losses due to premature mortality, which equates to a €17 billion annual loss.
• The report suggests several funding strategies to support lung cancer innovations, including increasing domestic tobacco taxes, utilizing public-private partnerships, social impact bonds, and accessing the Sustainable Development Fund.

APA

World Economic Forum (2022). Urgent, Coordinated Global Action on Lung Cancer. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Urgent_Coordinated_Global_Action_on_Lung_Cancer_2022.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Urgent, Coordinated Global Action on Lung Cancer. 2022. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Urgent_Coordinated_Global_Action_on_Lung_Cancer_2022.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Urgent, Coordinated Global Action on Lung Cancer |date=May 2022 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Urgent_Coordinated_Global_Action_on_Lung_Cancer_2022.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2022urgent, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Urgent, Coordinated Global Action on Lung Cancer}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Urgent_Coordinated_Global_Action_on_Lung_Cancer_2022.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }