Making progress in cancer count

More than 2,000 people working across cancer prevention, treatment and care will come together in Hong Kong for the World Cancer Congress this month.

There is a lot to build on: more cancers are being detected earlier, treatments are becoming more effective, and advances in diagnostics are helping us understand cancer with greater precision.

But the challenge is growing too.

In 2024, an estimated 20.6 million people were diagnosed with cancer worldwide. By 2050, that number is projected to reach 35 million each year.1

Keeping pace will take continued scientific progress. It will also take investment – and a broader understanding of the value that investment can create.

Are we counting the right things?

The cost of cancer goes far beyond the care someone receives. Costs include time away from work, family members providing unpaid care and income lost through ill health. When a life is cut short, years of contribution to families, communities and economies are lost too.

Research led by the International Agency for Research on Cancer estimated that premature cancer deaths resulted in USD 566 billion in lost paid and unpaid productivity globally in 2022 – equivalent to 0.6% of global GDP.2

Looking at the full economic and societal impact of cancer strengthens the case for investing differently – earlier in the cancer pathway, with greater precision, and in ways that help health systems make better use of their capacity.

What does investing differently look like?

Investing differently means rethinking not only what care is delivered, but where and how it is delivered.

Flexible care models are making high-quality, safe and person-centred cancer care available closer to where people live, whether through community-based services, local treatment centres or care delivered in the home. By moving appropriate elements of care beyond traditional hospital settings, health systems can make better use of limited clinical capacity while improving convenience for patients.

This approach helps address some of the most pressing challenges facing healthcare systems today. Delivering care in community and home settings can free up hospital capacity, improve patient flow and allow specialist expertise to be focused where it is needed most. At the same time, innovations such as subcutaneous treatments, remote monitoring and new diagnostic approaches can reduce the need for lengthy hospital visits, helping patients spend less time travelling and more time living their lives.

Flexible care can also support more timely and equitable access to services. Connected, community-based models can help bring diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management closer to underserved populations, reducing barriers that can delay access to care.

These are investments in health where value is measured not only in better outcomes, but also in more efficient use of healthcare resources, lower system costs and a better experience for patients and their families. By delivering the right care in the right setting, health systems can improve quality, sustainability and access at the same time.

Learning from what already works

Roche’s work in diagnostics and medicines provides a perspective on the entire cancer pathway, from early detection to treatment and ongoing care. However, lasting progress depends on coordinated action across the healthcare ecosystem. The challenges and trade offs facing decision-makers look different from one health system to another.

Health systems across the Asia Pacific region face distinct population needs and resource constraints, creating a rich opportunity to share solutions. At the World Cancer Congress 2026, Roche is convening stakeholders to discuss practical approaches, including regional collaboration to advance breast cancer equity in Southeast Asia.

We have made extraordinary progress in cancer. Now we need to make more of that progress felt in people's lives.