This article provides a status report on the global burden of cancer worldwide using the GLOBOCAN 2018 estimates of cancer incidence and mortality produced by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, with a focus on geographic variability across 20 world regions There will be an estimated 181 million new cancer cases (170 million excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) and 96 million cancer deaths (95 million excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) in 2018 In both sexes combined, lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer (116% of the total cases) and the leading cause of cancer death (184% of the total cancer deaths), closely followed by female breast cancer (116%), prostate cancer (71%), and colorectal cancer (61%) for incidence and colorectal cancer (92%), stomach cancer (82%), and liver cancer (82%) for mortality Lung cancer is the most frequent cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among males, followed by prostate and colorectal cancer (for incidence) and liver and stomach cancer (for mortality) Among females, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death, followed by colorectal and lung cancer (for incidence), and vice versa (for mortality); cervical cancer ranks fourth for both incidence and mortality The most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death, however, substantially vary across countries and within each country depending on the degree of economic development and associated social and life style factors It is noteworthy that high-quality cancer registry data, the basis for planning and implementing evidence-based cancer control programs, are not available in most low- and middle-income countries The Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development is an international partnership that supports better estimation, as well as the collection and use of local data, to prioritize and evaluate national cancer control efforts CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians 2018;0:1-31 © 2018 American Cancer Society

https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.3322/caac.21492

Global cancer statistics 2018: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries

The global burden of cancer continues to increase largely because of the aging and growth of the world population alongside an increasing adoption of cancer-causing behaviors, particularly smoking, in economically developing countries. Based on the GLOBOCAN 2008 estimates, about 12.7 million cancer cases and 7.6 million cancer deaths are estimated to have occurred in 2008; of these, 56% of the cases and 64% of the deaths occurred in the economically developing world. Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among females, accounting for 23% of the total cancer cases and 14% of the cancer deaths. Lung cancer is the leading cancer site in males, comprising 17% of the total new cancer cases and 23% of the total cancer deaths. Breast cancer is now also the leading cause of cancer death among females in economically developing countries, a shift from the previous decade during which the most common cause of cancer death was cervical cancer. Further, the mortality burden for lung cancer among females in developing countries is as high as the burden for cervical cancer, with each accounting for 11% of the total female cancer deaths. Although overall cancer incidence rates in the developing world are half those seen in the developed world in both sexes, the overall cancer mortality rates are generally similar. Cancer survival tends to be poorer in developing countries, most likely because of a combination of a late stage at diagnosis and limited access to timely and standard treatment. A substantial proportion of the worldwide burden of cancer could be prevented through the application of existing cancer control knowledge and by implementing programs for tobacco control, vaccination (for liver and cervical cancers), and early detection and treatment, as well as public health campaigns promoting physical activity and a healthier dietary intake. Clinicians, public health professionals, and policy makers can play an active role in accelerating the application of such interventions globally.

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Global cancer statistics

This article provides an update on the global cancer burden using the GLOBOCAN 2020 estimates of cancer incidence and mortality produced by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Worldwide, an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases (18.1 million excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) and almost 10.0 million cancer deaths (9.9 million excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) occurred in 2020. Female breast cancer has surpassed lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer, with an estimated 2.3 million new cases (11.7%), followed by lung (11.4%), colorectal (10.0 %), prostate (7.3%), and stomach (5.6%) cancers. Lung cancer remained the leading cause of cancer death, with an estimated 1.8 million deaths (18%), followed by colorectal (9.4%), liver (8.3%), stomach (7.7%), and female breast (6.9%) cancers. Overall incidence was from 2-fold to 3-fold higher in transitioned versus transitioning countries for both sexes, whereas mortality varied <2-fold for men and little for women. Death rates for female breast and cervical cancers, however, were considerably higher in transitioning versus transitioned countries (15.0 vs 12.8 per 100,000 and 12.4 vs 5.2 per 100,000, respectively). The global cancer burden is expected to be 28.4 million cases in 2040, a 47% rise from 2020, with a larger increase in transitioning (64% to 95%) versus transitioned (32% to 56%) countries due to demographic changes, although this may be further exacerbated by increasing risk factors associated with globalization and a growing economy. Efforts to build a sustainable infrastructure for the dissemination of cancer prevention measures and provision of cancer care in transitioning countries is critical for global cancer control.

https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.3322/caac.21660

Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries.

Estimates of the worldwide incidence and mortality from 27 major cancers and for all cancers combined for 2012 are now available in the GLOBOCAN series of the International Agency for Research on Cancer. We review the sources and methods used in compiling the national cancer incidence and mortality estimates, and briefly describe the key results by cancer site and in 20 large “areas” of the world. Overall, there were 14.1 million new cases and 8.2 million deaths in 2012. The most commonly diagnosed cancers were lung (1.82 million), breast (1.67 million), and colorectal (1.36 million); the most common causes of cancer death were lung cancer (1.6 million deaths), liver cancer (745,000 deaths), and stomach cancer (723,000 deaths).

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Cancer incidence and mortality worldwide: sources, methods and major patterns in GLOBOCAN 2012.

Cancer constitutes an enormous burden on society in more and less economically developed countries alike. The occurrence of cancer is increasing because of the growth and aging of the population, as well as an increasing prevalence of established risk factors such as smoking, overweight, physical inactivity, and changing reproductive patterns associated with urbanization and economic development. Based on GLOBOCAN estimates, about 14.1 million new cancer cases and 8.2 million deaths occurred in 2012 worldwide. Over the years, the burden has shifted to less developed countries, which currently account for about 57% of cases and 65% of cancer deaths worldwide. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among males in both more and less developed countries, and has surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer death among females in more developed countries; breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death among females in less developed countries. Other leading causes of cancer death in more developed countries include colorectal cancer among males and females and prostate cancer among males. In less developed countries, liver and stomach cancer among males and cervical cancer among females are also leading causes of cancer death. Although incidence rates for all cancers combined are nearly twice as high in more developed than in less developed countries in both males and females, mortality rates are only 8% to 15% higher in more developed countries. This disparity reflects regional differences in the mix of cancers, which is affected by risk factors and detection practices, and/or the availability of treatment. Risk factors associated with the leading causes of cancer death include tobacco use (lung, colorectal, stomach, and liver cancer), overweight/obesity and physical inactivity (breast and colorectal cancer), and infection (liver, stomach, and cervical cancer). A substantial portion of cancer cases and deaths could be prevented by broadly applying effective prevention measures, such as tobacco control, vaccination, and the use of early detection tests.

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Global cancer statistics, 2012

As part of an epidemiological study of cancer in Uganda, we investigated the titre of antibodies against BK virus among 821 people with different cancer types and benign tumours. Among study participants, 790 were considered seropositive for anti-BK virus antibodies and all analyses were conducted on transformed data. The mean optical density (a measure of antibody titre) for all patients combined (including the 31 who were considered seronegative) was 1.03 (standard error 0.01), but was 5% higher in women than in men (P=0.05), and 8% higher among HIV seropositive than seronegative people (P= 0.002). Otherwise, there were few consistent associations between anti-BK virus antibodies and any social and lifestyle factor investigated. Differences in the mean optical density for each cancer type were estimated using multivariate analysis of variance with adjustment for sex, age group and HIV serostatus, using all other patients as controls. The mean optical density was about 17% lower among those with oral cancer (optical density 0.86, standard error 0.06; P=0.01, based on 30 patients) and about 20% higher among those with prostate cancer (optical density 1.22, standard error 0.09; P=0.01, based on 11 cases) than among all other patients combined. The number of cases of each cancer was too small to exclude the possibility of these findings arising by chance. No other cancer site or type was significantly associated with low, or with high anti-BK virus antibody titres.

BK virus and cancer in Uganda.

BACKGROUND Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) remains a major health problem and causes high mortality in Northeastern Thailand. Patients with CCA have a poor prognosis, and little is known about their health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and its determinants. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate factors affecting HRQOL and its changes over time among CCA patients. METHODS Two hundred thirty-seven patients with CCA were recruited during a 6-month period in 2011 in 5 tertiary hospitals in 4 provinces of northeastern Thailand. Health-related quality of life after diagnosis of CCA was measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Hepatobiliary questionnaire (Thai version 4). The HRQOL score of CCA patients at different times after diagnosis was compared by repeated-measures analysis of variance. Generalized estimating equation was used to identify factors affecting HRQOL among CCA patients. RESULTS Of 237 eligible patients registered, 99 confirmed cases completed follow-up at 2 months. Overall HRQOL varied over time, with the score at baseline being significantly lower than 1 and 2 months later. An adjusted analysis showed that patients who were 60 to 69 years old had higher HRQOL scores than did younger patients. Patients using alternative medicine had lower HRQOL scores than did those who did not. CONCLUSIONS Health-related quality-of-life scores among CCA patients changed over time and were related to age at recruitment and use of alternative medicine. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Healthcare providers should carefully communicate about the diagnosis and its implications. Patients with CCA, especially younger patients and those who have used traditional medicine, may benefit from counseling and help with mobilizing family and social support.

Donald Maxwell Parkin

Papers

BK virus and cancer in Uganda.

Factors Affecting Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients With Cholangiocarcinoma in the Northeastern Region of Thailand.

Ethnicity and cancer risk in sao paulo

Cancer in the Philippines

Cancer and HIV infection in Rwanda [letter]