Global burden of 34 cancers among women in 2020 and projections to 2040: Population-based data from 185 countries/territories

Habtamu Mellie Bizuayehu; Abel F Dadi; Tahir A Hassen; Daniel Bekele Ketema; Kedir Y Ahmed; Zemenu Y Kassa; Erkihun Amsalu; Getiye Dejenu Kibret; Addisu Alehegn Alemu; Animut Alebel; Jemal E Shifa; Yibeltal Assefa; Gizachew A Tessema; Peter Sarich; Aster Ferede Gebremedhin; Meless G Bore

doi:10.1002/ijc.34809

Global burden of 34 cancers among women in 2020 and projections to 2040: Population-based data from 185 countries/territories

Int J Cancer. 2024 Apr 15;154(8):1377-1393. doi: 10.1002/ijc.34809. Epub 2023 Dec 7.

Authors

Habtamu Mellie Bizuayehu¹, Abel F Dadi^{2

3}, Tahir A Hassen⁴, Daniel Bekele Ketema^{5

6}, Kedir Y Ahmed⁷, Zemenu Y Kassa^{8

9}, Erkihun Amsalu^{10

11}, Getiye Dejenu Kibret^{6

12}, Addisu Alehegn Alemu^{6

13}, Animut Alebel^{6

14}, Jemal E Shifa⁹, Yibeltal Assefa¹, Gizachew A Tessema^{15

16}, Peter Sarich¹⁷, Aster Ferede Gebremedhin^{6

14}, Meless G Bore⁸

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
² Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia.
³ Addis Continental Institute of Public Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
⁴ Center for Women's Health Research, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
⁵ The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁶ College of Medicine and Health science, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia.
⁷ Rural Health Research Institute, Charles Sturt University, Orange, New South Wales, Australia.
⁸ College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
⁹ School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁰ Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹¹ St. Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
¹² Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹³ School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁴ School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁵ Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
¹⁶ School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
¹⁷ The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, A Joint Venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

PMID: 38059753
DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34809

Abstract

Globally women face inequality in cancer outcomes; for example, smaller improvements in life expectancy due to decreased cancer-related deaths than men (0.5 vs 0.8 years, 1981-2010). However, comprehensive global evidence on the burden of cancer among women (including by reproductive age spectrum) as well as disparities by region, remains limited. This study aimed to address these evidence gaps by considering 34 cancer types in 2020 and their projections for 2040. The cancer burden among women in 2020 was estimated using population-based data from 185 countries/territories sourced from GLOBOCAN. Mortality to Incidence Ratios (MIR), a proxy for survival, were estimated by dividing the age-standardised mortality rates by the age-standardised incidence rates. Demographic projections were performed to 2040. In 2020, there were an estimated 9.3 million cancer cases and 4.4 million cancer deaths globally. Projections showed an increase to 13.3 million (↑44%) and 7.1 million (↑60%) in 2040, respectively, with larger proportional increases in low- and middle-income countries. MIR among women was higher (poorer survival) in rare cancers and with increasing age. Countries with low Human Development Indexes (HDIs) had higher MIRs (69%) than countries with very high HDIs (30%). There was inequality in cancer incidence and mortality worldwide among women in 2020, which will further widen by 2040. Implementing cancer prevention efforts and providing basic cancer treatments by expanding universal health coverage through a human rights approach, expanding early screening opportunities and strengthening medical infrastructure are key to improving and ensuring equity in cancer control and outcomes.

Keywords: adolescents and young adults; age-standardised incidence rates; age-standardised mortality rates; burden; cancer; global cancer observatory; menopause; mortality-to-incidence ratio; projections; women.

MeSH terms

Female
Forecasting
Global Burden of Disease
Global Health
Humans
Incidence
Life Expectancy
Male
Neoplasms* / epidemiology

Grants and funding

1195716/Australian National Health and Medical Research Council