Cancer epidemiology: incidence, mortality and survival in Morocco and the world; 2005-2025

Abstract

Cancer is currently one of the major public health problems; any policy of prevention against this scourge and any implementation of international, national, or regional efforts to combat it requires statistical knowledge and increased epidemiological surveillance. This work is an epidemiological study filled with data and statistics. It aims to describe a cancerous pathology that is becoming a major global public health problem and whose incidence and mortality have increased dramatically in recent decades. For that, two main types of sources were used: the first is international and produced by the WHO (World Health Organization), and the other is national and based on data from cancer registries in Morocco. We also conducted exhaustive research on articles published over the last 10 years on cancer in Morocco using bibliographic search engines (PubMed, Google Scholar, etc.). Thus, our epidemiological study shows that cancer is spreading in both developed and developing countries, since already 50% of cancerous diseases occur in developing countries. According to the latest WHO report in 2025, this scourge is responsible for 13% of global mortality, with three-quarters occurring in developing countries, particularly in the poorest regions of Asia, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America. In Morocco, the collected data unequivocally confirm a general increase in cancer incidence across Morocco over the past decade. This trend is marked by a predominance of breast cancer among women and lung and prostate cancers among men. Moreover, significant regional disparities persist, reflecting both environmental variations and unequal access to healthcare services. A progressive decrease in the average age of patients affected by certain cancer types, such as colorectal and gastric cancers, has also been observed. Finally, enduring challenges remain regarding early screening, the comprehensiveness of cancer registries, and public awareness efforts.