Background: Asia is experiencing a rapid population ageing, which is expected to substantially increase cancer burden. The increasing incidence of cancer in older adults is expected to place a significant strain on healthcare systems, not only due to the rising number of patients but also due to the increasing complexity of care required. Management of cancer in older adults is particularly challenging given the high prevalence of comorbidities, age-associated physiological changes, frailty, and reduced tolerance to standard cancer treatments. However, region-wide evidence focusing on older adults remains limited.
Objective: To describe cancer incidence and mortality among adults aged ≥60 years across 48 Asian countries and five United Nations subregions, and to project the burden to 2050 based on demographic changes.
Methods: We analysed cancer incidence and mortality data for 2022 from the Global Cancer Observatory, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer. Estimates were stratified by sex, country, and subregion. Projections to 2050 were derived using United Nations population forecasts, assuming constant age-specific rates.
Results: In 2022, approximately 5.7 million new cancer cases and 3.8 million cancer deaths occurred among older adults in Asia, representing 59% of all cases and 70% of deaths in the region. Lung, colorectal, stomach, liver, and breast cancers accounted for over half of new diagnoses, while lung, colorectal, liver, stomach, and oesophageal cancers were the leading causes of mortality. Considerable variation was observed across countries and subregions, with consistently higher incidence and mortality among men. Eastern Asia exhibited the highest age-standardised rates, whereas Southern Asia showed lower rates. India displayed a distinct profile, characterized by high burdens of breast, oral, cervical, and lung cancers. Projections indicate that by 2050, cancer cases and deaths among older adults will more than double to reach, respectively, 11.5 million new cancer cases and 8.4 million deaths, with the steepest increases expected in Southern Asia, excluding India (incidence: +174%; mortality: +188%) and Western Asia (+171% and +186%, respectively).
Conclusion/Implications for practice or policy: The cancer burden among older adults in Asia is already substantial and will rise sharply in coming decades, driven by demographic ageing. These findings underscore the urgent need for region-specific strategies to strengthen cancer prevention, early detection, equitable access to diagnosis and treatment, geriatric oncology capacity, and palliative care to address this growing and uneven burden.