According to a report published by the “International Cancer Monitor” of the World Health Organization (WHO), in March 2021, Lebanon recorded 28,764 cancer cases during the last five years, including 11,600 cases in 2020.

In 2018, the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the WHO indicated that Lebanon ranked first among Western Asian countries, in terms of number of cases per capita, and that there are 242 cancer patients, out of every 100,000 Lebanese.

In 2003, the National Cancer Registry began in Lebanon, and rates were recorded at 160 cases among men and 150 among women out of every 100,000 people. Results showed that breast cancer is the most type that affects women, while bladder, prostate and lung cancer are among the most types that affect men.

To further verify the trends in cancer cases in Lebanon, a medical study relied on data provided by the National Cancer Registry between 2003-2008, to project the rates of cancer over the next decade. The data was applied in the actual period according to the study, age and gender for each year, and according to infection rates compared to the world population, as well as using the lifestyle of the actual period.

The results came as follows:

According to the estimates of this study, it is expected that the number of cancer cases will reach 370 and 320 cancer cases per 100,000 people in men and women respectively, by 2022. It is expected that the number will increase in both men and women alike, knowing that by 2025 the proportion of the elderly over the age of 60 will represent around 10% of the total population.

So, in light of the struggling medical sector and the outages of medicines and treatments, the Lebanese are facing the cancer of the body and the cancer of politicians.