Feb 01, 2026
3 min read
The number of new cancer cases in Spain will increase by 2% in 2026 and exceed 300,000 for the first time, 8,000 of which will be diagnosed in adults aged 20-39.
Spain will exceed 300,000 new cancer cases for the first time in 2026
- Among them, 8,000 people will be diagnosed in young people between 20 and 39 years old, especially breast and thyroid.
- Those of the colon and rectum will be the most common, with 44,132, followed by those of the breast (38,318) and lungs (34,908)
The number of new cancer cases will increase by 2% in Spain in 2026 and will exceed 300,000 for the first time, of which 8,000 will be diagnosed in young adults aged 20 to 39, mainly breast and thyroid cancer, according to estimates by the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM).
The report 'Figures of cancer in Spain 2026' prepared by the scientific society in collaboration with the Spanish Network of Cancer Registry (Redecan) keeps colon and rectal tumors as the most frequent for this year, with 44,132, followed by breast (38,318) and lung (34,908).
Despite the increase in new cases, which will rise to 301,884 due to factors such as population growth and aging, early detection of lifestyle habits or preventable risk factors, including increases in survival, have doubled in the past 40 years.Therefore, the SEOM president, Javier de Castro, appealed to the importance of "not worrying" and promoting self-care in people with activities such as exercise, which reduces the risk by 30%.
Anxiety is on the rise among young people
In this way, Spain will maintain the same expected growth trend worldwide;It is estimated that 32.6 million new cancers will be discovered by 2050, of which 350,000 in our country.
However, the increase in young people is worrying: according to Globocan, more than 1.2 million new cancers will be diagnosed in this group in 2022, with breast cancer accounting for 20%, followed by thyroid (18.6%), cervical (8.6%) and colorectal (4.7%).In Spain, Redecan estimates that more than 8,000 will be diagnosed in people aged 20 to 39, more in women (4,800) than in men (3,400);the mammary gland will make up 20.5%, and the thyroid gland - 13.4%.
Regarding this, Jaime Gelserin, president of Radicon, points out that since 1994 the growth has been especially among the younger age group of 20 to 29 year olds.Although the increase in absolute numbers is "very small," they represent a troubling trend in tumors such as colon or kidney tumors since 1994, although there are unknown dietary causes of microbeta since 1994. Impotence, obesity or overuse of antibiotics have been identified as triggers."We must continue to expand research to find out why this is happening."
Isabel Etxavarria, a member of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology, continues, instead of increasing the age of screening, we must continue to focus on maintaining the existing laws, because breast screening is "very good", in other areas such as colon screening, the statistics are worse.
But experts point to the main preventable risk factors that account for a third of deaths from this cause: tobacco, alcohol, pollution, a sedentary lifestyle and an unhealthy diet with insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption.This is influenced by exposure to radon in the home, ultraviolet or X-rays, infections caused by up to ten infectious agents classified as carcinogens, and even work and age factors.
Unequal incidence in men and women
Men will not have the same events as women: from 2025, men will have more prostate (34,833), colon and rectal (26,477), lung (23,079) and bladder (19,496), while more cases of chest (38,316 and 19,16,56) will occur.show, the increase will continue when they subsequently enter the smoking habit.
Lung cancer is the most frequent cause of death from cancer in Spain (23,297 in 2024), more than colon (10,451), pancreas (8,392), breast (6,659) and prostate (5,967).It remains the most lethal for men (16,606 deaths from this cause in 2024), a mortality that almost triples that of the two previous ones, prostate (5,967) and colon (5,913).And in women it surpassed breast cancer for the first time as the tumor responsible for the greatest mortality (6,691 against 6,563), followed, at a greater distance, by colon cancer (4,538) and pancreatic cancer (4,090).
The reason why it is still the deadliest is that about half of the cases are detected in very advanced stages; another problem is that the procedures to get it are much more invasive than others and that it is a highly stigmatized disease, so less investment is made in it.
“We need to start taking steps with at-risk populations to reduce smoking.Almost 35% of the population continues to smoke in various forms, including e-cigarettes,” said SEOM President Javier de Castro, recalling that 20% of cases also occur among non-smokers.
