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. 2020 Sep 11;7(3):679-696.
doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2020053. eCollection 2020.

Epidemiology of cancer in Saudi Arabia thru 2010-2019: a systematic review with constrained meta-analysis

Wedad Saeed Alqahtani  1 , Nawaf Abdulrahman Almufareh  2 , Dalia Mostafa Domiaty  3 , Gadah Albasher  4 , Manal Abduallah Alduwish  5 , Huda Alkhalaf  6 , Bader Almuzzaini  7 , Salma Sanhaat Al-Marshidy  8 , Rgya Alfraihi  9 , Abdelbaset Mohamed Elasbali  10 , Hussain Gadelkarim Ahmed  11   12 , Bassam Ahmed Almutlaq  11
Affiliations

Epidemiology of cancer in Saudi Arabia thru 2010-2019: a systematic review with constrained meta-analysis

Wedad Saeed Alqahtani et al. AIMS Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Cancer is emerging as a major global health-care system challenge with a growing burden worldwide. Due to the inconsistent cancer registry system in Saudi Arabia, the epidemiology of cancer is still dispersed in the country. Consequently, this review aimed to assemble the epidemiological metrics of cancer in Saudi Arabia in light of the available published data during the period from (2010-2019).

Methods: Published literature from Saudi Arabia relating to cancer incidence, prevalence, risk factors, and other epidemiological metrics were accessed through electronic search in Medline/PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, Google Scholar, and public database that meet the inclusion criteria. Relevant keywords were used during the electronic search about different types of cancers in Saudi Arabia. No filters were used during the electronic searches. Data were pooled and odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to assess the well-determined risk factors associated with different types of cancers.

Results: The most common cancers in Saudi Arabia are breast, colorectal, prostate, brain, lymphoma, kidney and thyroid outnumbering respectively. Their prevalence rates and OR (95%CI) as follow: breast cancer 53% and 0.93 (0.84-1.00); colon-rectal cancer (CRC) 50.9% and 1.2 (0.81-1.77); prostate cancer 42.6% and 3.2 (0.88-31.11); brain/Central Nervous System cancer 9.6% and 2.3 (0.01-4.2); Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma 9.2% and 3.02 (1.48-6.17); kidney cancer 4.6% and 2.05 (1.61-2.61), and thyroid cancer 12.9% and 6.77 (2.34-19.53).

Conclusion: Within the diverse cancers reported from Saudi Arabia, the epidemiology of some cancers magnitude 3-fold in the latest years. This increase might be attributed to the changing in the Saudi population lifestyle (adopting western model), lack of cancer awareness, lack of screening & early detection programs, social barriers toward cancer investigations. Obesity, genetics, sedentary lifestyle, tobacco use, viral infection, and iodine & Vit-D deficiency represent the apparent cancer risk factors in Saudi Arabia.

Keywords: Saudi Arabia; breast cancer; cancer; colon-rectal cancer; meta-analysis; risk factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: The authors declared no competing interests. The authors had full responsibility for data collection, data interpretation, and writing of the report.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Cancer-related publications from Saudi Arabia vs. all Arab countries.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Flow chart for the selection process of articles included in the review.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.. Estimated death rates/100,000 due to cancer in Saudi Arabia in comparison to Arabian Gulf countries (WHO 2017).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.. Incidence and mortality rates in Saudi Arabia in 2018.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.. Estimated age-standardized incidence rates of cancers in Saudi Arabia per 100,000 (Source: WHO 2017).
Figure 6.
Figure 6.. Meta-analyses (forest plot) of the prevalence of breast cancer with possible risk factors.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.. Meta-analyses (forest plot) of the prevalence of CRC with possible risk factors.
Figure 8.
Figure 8.. Meta-analyses (forest plot) of the prevalence of prostate cancer with possible risk factors.
Figure 9.
Figure 9.. Meta-analyses (forest plot) of the prevalence of brain & CNS cancer with possible risk factors.
Figure 10.
Figure 10.. Meta-analyses (forest plot) of the prevalence of HL & NHL cancers with possible risk factors.
Figure 11.
Figure 11.. Meta-analyses (forest plot) of the prevalence of kidney cancer with possible risk factors.
Figure 12.
Figure 12.. Meta-analyses (forest plot) of the prevalence of thyroid cancer with possible risk factors.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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