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. 2022 Sep:13:None.
doi: 10.1016/j.lana.2022.100294.

An updated profile of the cancer burden, patterns and trends in Latin America and the Caribbean

Marion Piñeros  1 , Mathieu Laversanne  1 , Enrique Barrios  2 , Marianna de Camargo Cancela  3 , Esther de Vries  4 , Constanza Pardo  5 , Freddie Bray  1
Affiliations

An updated profile of the cancer burden, patterns and trends in Latin America and the Caribbean

Marion Piñeros et al. Lancet Reg Health Am. 2022 Sep.

Abstract

Background: Cancer is a leading cause of disease and death in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Contemporary data on the cancer burden aims to inform effective cancer policies; this article provides an update and benchmarking of national cancer incidence and mortality estimates for the year 2020, alongside recent mortality trends in the region.

Methods: The number of new cancer cases and deaths were extracted from the GLOBOCAN 2020 database developed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and mortality data over time from IARC's cancer mortality database, New cancer cases, deaths and corresponding age-standardized rates per 100,000 person-years are presented. Random fluctuations in mortality trends by country, sex and cancer site were smoothed using LOWESS regression.

Findings: An estimated total of 1.5 million new cancer cases and 700,000 deaths occur annually in LAC, with corresponding incidence and mortality rates of 186.5 and 86.6 per 100,000. The most common cancers in 2020 were prostate (15%), breast (14%), colorectal (9%), lung (7%) and stomach (5%). Lung cancer remained the leading cause of cancer death (12%), though rates varied substantially between countries. The mortality trends of infectious-related cancers tended to decline in most countries, while rates of cancer types linked to westernization were mainly increasing. Assuming rates remain unchanged, the cancer burden in LAC will increase by 67% reaching 2.4 million new cases annually by 2040.

Interpretation: The cancer patterns reflect important underlying sociodemographic changes occurring over the last decades. With an increasing burden anticipated over the next decades in this region, there is a need to plan oncological service provision accordingly.

Funding: No external funds received.

Keywords: Cancer; Epidemiology; Global health; Neoplasms; Public health surveillance.

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Conflict of interest statement

EdV declared payment or honoraria by AMGEN for presentation on socioeconomic inequalities in Colombia presenting results of projects not related to the industry. All other authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Five most frequent cancers in the world and in LAC by subregions, both sexes combined, incidence and mortality, 2020.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Leading causes of cancer incidence (a) and mortality (b) among males and females by country, LAC 2020.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Cancer incidence and mortality rates (ASR per 100,000) for main cancers, by country, LAC, 2020. a) Prostate, b) Female breast c) Colorectal- males d) Colorectal- females e) Lung -males f) Lung -females g) Stomach -males h) Stomach- females i) Cervix uteri. * Scales vary according to cancer site.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Cancer incidence and mortality rates (ASR per 100,000) for main cancers, by country, LAC, 2020. a) Prostate, b) Female breast c) Colorectal- males d) Colorectal- females e) Lung -males f) Lung -females g) Stomach -males h) Stomach- females i) Cervix uteri. * Scales vary according to cancer site.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Trends in cancer mortality rates (ASR per 100,000) by country, LAC 2020; a) Prostate b) Breast -female c) Colorectal -males d) Colorectal- females e) Lung -males f) Lung -females g) Stomach -males h) Cervix (C53&C55; in women 0-49 years). * Scales may vary according to cancer site.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Trends in cancer mortality rates (ASR per 100,000) by country, LAC 2020; a) Prostate b) Breast -female c) Colorectal -males d) Colorectal- females e) Lung -males f) Lung -females g) Stomach -males h) Cervix (C53&C55; in women 0-49 years). * Scales may vary according to cancer site.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Projections of the cancer incidence burden in LAC by Sub-region, 2020 and 2040.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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