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. 2018 May;63(Suppl 1):151-164.
doi: 10.1007/s00038-017-0999-9. Epub 2017 Aug 3.

Burden of cancer in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 2005-2015: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 Study

GBD 2015 Eastern Mediterranean Region Cancer Collaborators
Collaborators

Burden of cancer in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 2005-2015: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 Study

GBD 2015 Eastern Mediterranean Region Cancer Collaborators. Int J Public Health. 2018 May.

Abstract

Objectives: To estimate incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) caused by cancer in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) between 2005 and 2015.

Methods: Vital registration system and cancer registry data from the EMR region were analyzed for 29 cancer groups in 22 EMR countries using the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015 methodology.

Results: In 2015, cancer was responsible for 9.4% of all deaths and 5.1% of all DALYs. It accounted for 722,646 new cases, 379,093 deaths, and 11.7 million DALYs. Between 2005 and 2015, incident cases increased by 46%, deaths by 33%, and DALYs by 31%. The increase in cancer incidence was largely driven by population growth and population aging. Breast cancer, lung cancer, and leukemia were the most common cancers, while lung, breast, and stomach cancers caused most cancer deaths.

Conclusions: Cancer is responsible for a substantial disease burden in the EMR, which is increasing. There is an urgent need to expand cancer prevention, screening, and awareness programs in EMR countries as well as to improve diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care services.

Keywords: Cancer; Disability-adjusted life years; Eastern Mediterranean Region; Incidence; Mortality.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors of this paper have complied with all ethical standards and do not have any conflicts of interest to disclose at the time of submission.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Age-specific contribution of cancer groups to total cancer incidence in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, both sexes, 2015 (Global Burden of Disease Study 2015, Eastern Mediterranean Region, 2015)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Age-specific contribution of cancer groups to total cancer mortality in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, both sexes, 2015. (Global Burden of Disease Study 2015, Eastern Mediterranean Region, 2015)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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