Cancer situation in China: an analysis based on the global epidemiological data released in 2024

Abstract

Background: Cancer remains a major cause of mortality and a significant economic burden in China. Exploring the disparities in cancer patterns and control strategies between China and developed countries may offer valuable insights for policy formulation and enhance cancer management efforts. This study examined the incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) burden of cancer in China, and compared these metrics with those observed in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK).

Methods: Data on cancer incidence, mortality, and DALYs for China, the US, and the UK were sourced from the GLOBOCAN 2022 online database and the Global Burden of Disease 2021 study (GBD 2021). We utilized Joinpoint regression models to analyze trends in cancer incidence and mortality across these countries, calculating annual percent changes (APCs) and determining the optimal joinpoints.

Results: In 2022, China recorded around 4,824,703 new cancer cases and 2,574,176 cancer-related deaths, contributing to 71,037,170 DALYs. China exhibited a lower cancer incidence rate compared to the US and the UK. Although cancer-related mortality in China is slightly lower than that in the UK, it is significantly higher than that in the US. Additionally, China experienced significantly higher DALY rates compared to both the US and UK. The cancer landscape in China was also undergoing significant changes, with a rapid rise in the incidence and burden of lung, colorectal, breast, cervical, and prostate cancers. Meanwhile, the incidence and burden of stomach cancer continued to decline. Although the incidence of liver and esophageal cancers was decreasing, the burden of liver cancer was increasing, while the burden of esophageal cancer remained largely unchanged.

Conclusions: The cancer profile of China is shifting from that of a developing country to one more typical of a developed country. The ongoing population aging and the rise in unhealthy lifestyles are expected to further escalate the cancer burden in China. Consequently, it is crucial for Chinese authorities to revise the national cancer control program, drawing on successful strategies from developed countries, while also accounting for the regional diversity in cancer types across China.

Keywords: China; GBD 2021; GLOBOCAN 2022; United Kingdom; United States; cancer pattern; disability‐adjusted life year; incidence; mortality; risk factor.

FIGURE 1

ASIR and ASMR per 100,000 population for selected cancer types in China, the US, the UK, and worldwide in 2022. ASIR and ASMR data for cancers in both sexes (A), males (B), and females (C). The data for this figure were sourced from the GLOBOCAN 2022 database. Cancer sites were ranked according to ASIR data from China. Abbreviations: ASIR, age‐standardized incidence rate; ASMR, age‐standardized mortality rate; US, United States; UK, United Kingdom.

FIGURE 2

Numbers of cancer‐related DALYs by age and gender in China, the US, and the UK in 2021. The estimates used to create this figure were derived from the GBD 2021 study. Abbreviations: DALY, disability‐adjusted life year; GBD, Global Burden of Disease; US, United States; UK, United Kingdom.

FIGURE 3

Changes in rankings of cancer‐related DALYs and percentage shifts in both all‐age and age‐standardized DALY rates in China, the US, and the UK from 1990 to 2021. The estimates for this figure were drawn from the GBD study, with age‐standardized rates calculated using the GBD reference population. Abbreviations: DALY, disability‐adjusted life year; GBD, Global Burden of Disease; US, United States; UK, United Kingdom.