IARC at 60: from research to action in an era of rising inequities

As the global cancer burden continues to rise, deepening inequities – between resource settings and populations shaped by a wide range of socioeconomic factors – threaten to undermine progress in prevention, treatment, and care.

These challenges were at the centre of discussions last week at the 60th anniversary conference of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The Agency is part of the World Health Organization (WHO), and its mission is to coordinate global research on the causes of cancer and develop scientific strategies for cancer prevention and control.

UICC partnered for the event, which brought together scientists, advocates, policymakers, and global health leaders to reflect on six decades of IARC’s work and impact. Opening the conference, IARC Director Elisabete Weiderpass framed the anniversary as both a milestone and a moment of responsibility.

“Sixty years after its founding, IARC remains firmly guided by its core mission to bridge research and action for global cancer prevention,” she said. “With the global cancer burden projected to nearly double by 2050, progress will depend on tackling persistent inequities, environmental pressures, and powerful commercial determinants of health.”

Read UICC’s interview with Director of IARC, Dr Elisabete Weiderpass

Indeed, speakers shared the concern that, despite decades of advances in cancer research, too many people are still left behind, with persistent gaps in access to prevention, screening, and care. In his video message to delegates at the conference, WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus notably called for stronger implementation of WHO’s global initiatives on cervical, childhood, and breast cancer.

While the burden falls heavily on low- and middle-income countries, presentations throughout the event showed notably how social position, geography, and gender shape cancer risk and outcomes in every region.

Addressing risk factors and prevention

Dr Weiderpass described prevention as a high‑value investment to reduce cancer incidence and mortality. “Preventing cancer saves lives, strengthens health systems, and delivers economic and societal returns,” she stressed. “The evidence is well established. Up to half of all cancers could be prevented through action on known causes and the implementation of proven interventions.”

The strongest prevention messages focused on tobacco, alcohol, diet and obesity – risk factors that remain major drivers of cancer worldwide, yet are unevenly addressed.

In a session on tobacco control, Mahdi Sheikh, Scientist, Early Detection, Prevention, and Infections at IARC, emphasised that the issue of smoking must remain at the top of the health agenda, as it remains the leading cause of cancer globally, with the burden falling disproportionately on disadvantaged populations and on low‑ and middle‑income countries.

“What people often forget is that tobacco control isn’t only about primary prevention,” he said. “If someone quits smoking after a cancer diagnosis, they can significantly improve their chances of survival by reducing the risk of progression and death.”

Alcohol and diet were also examined through a prevention lens. Despite being classified as carcinogenic decades ago, alcohol remains a largely under‑recognised cancer risk among the public. Speakers argued that policies such as taxation, marketing restrictions, and warning labels should be reframed explicitly as cancer prevention tools.

On nutrition and metabolic health, experts highlighted the growing role of obesity and ultra‑processed foods in cancer risk, particularly as diets change rapidly in low‑ and middle‑income countries. While research is becoming more sophisticated, speakers stressed that effective prevention depends on governments creating environments that make healthy choices easier.

Health systems under strain

Several sessions underscored that prevention and early detection can only succeed when supported by resilient, people‑centred health systems.

Evidence from Australia showed that even in high‑income countries, geography matters. “People living in rural and remote areas face longer diagnostic delays, and poorer outcomes, with up to a 15% lower chance of survival,” explained Anna Ugalde, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University.

In low‑resource settings, the consequences are even more severe. “In East Africa, survival rates for childhood cancer are around 20–30%, compared with more than 80% in high‑income countries,” said Paulette Ibeka, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research & Learning, Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. “This is not because the cancers are incurable, but because systems fail to deliver timely diagnosis and sustained treatment,” she explained, pointing to procurement rules, financing gaps, and adult‑centric policies that limit access to essential medicines.

Humanitarian crises add another layer of complexity. New analyses presented by Lucy Hörner of IARC’s Cancer Surveillance Branch revealed that one in 12 people diagnosed with cancer globally now lives in a crisis‑affected setting, rising to one in five for children with cancer. In the analysis, ‘crisis’ was defined using a global severity index covering conflict, displacement, natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, disease outbreaks, and other overlapping humanitarian shocks. 

“Cancer control can no longer be viewed as separate from humanitarian and emergency contexts,” Hörner argued, calling for oncology to be integrated into emergency preparedness and recovery planning.

Data as a foundation for action

The conference also highlighted the central role of cancer data, not as an abstract technical issue, but as a foundation for accountability, investment and equity. Presentations on cancer registries notably showed how gaps in data coverage mirror global inequities, and how registries are only effective if policymakers and planners act on what the data shows. 

Without reliable population‑based data, speakers repeated, cancers remain invisible, under‑prioritised, and under‑funded. 

Examples from Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe demonstrated how long‑term partnerships, supported through IARC’s Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development, are strengthening national capacity, improving data quality, and helping countries use evidence to inform policy.

Overall, the emphasis on recognising the extraordinary progress that has been achieved in addressing cancer over the past six decades was tempered by the scale of what lies ahead. The presentation of new global cancer statistics by IARC (Globocan 2024) – shared as a preview during the meeting and due for official release in early July – reinforced that incidence and mortality will continue to rise without sustained prevention and system‑level action.

“UICC and IARC have a long history of working together to connect science, policy, and advocacy. It was a real source of pride to see UICC referenced so often throughout the conference, and to partner with IARC on an event that so clearly focused on turning evidence into action. Whether through this conference, the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit, or the World Cancer Congress, our collaboration reflects a shared commitment to turning research into real‑world impact.”
– Cary Adams, CEO of UICC