Estimates of the worldwide incidence and mortality from 36 cancers and for all cancers combined for the year 2018 are now available in the GLOBOCAN 2018 database, compiled and disseminated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). This paper reviews the sources and methods used in compiling the cancer statistics in 185 countries. The validity of the national estimates depends upon the representativeness of the source information, and to take into account possible sources of bias, uncertainty intervals are now provided for the estimated sex‐ and site‐specific all‐ages number of new cancer cases and cancer deaths. We briefly describe the key results globally and by world region. There were an estimated 18.1 million (95% UI: 17.5–18.7 million) new cases of cancer (17 million excluding non‐melanoma skin cancer) and 9.6 million (95% UI: 9.3–9.8 million) deaths from cancer (9.5 million excluding non‐melanoma skin cancer) worldwide in 2018.

Rates for five broad age groups (0-14, 15-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65 and over) and sex were estimated for as many individual

Our study briefly reviews the data sources and methods used in compiling the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) GLOBOCAN cancer statistics for the year 2020 and summarises the main results. National estimates were calculated based on the best available data on cancer incidence from population‐based cancer registries (PBCR) and mortality from the World Health Organization mortality database. Cancer incidence and mortality rates for 2020 by sex and age groups were estimated for 38 cancer sites and 185 countries or territories worldwide. There were an estimated 19.3 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 19.0‐19.6 million) new cases of cancer (18.1 million excluding non‐melanoma skin cancer) and almost 10.0 million (95% UI: 9.7‐10.2 million) deaths from cancer (9.9 million excluding non‐melanoma skin cancer) worldwide in 2020. The most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide were female breast cancer (2.26 million cases), lung (2.21) and prostate cancers (1.41); the most common causes of cancer death were lung (1.79 million deaths), liver (830000) and stomach cancers (769000).

Primary liver cancer, the major histology of which is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. We comprehensively examined recent international trends of primary liver cancer and HCC incidence using population-based cancer registry data. Incidence for all primary liver cancer and for HCC by calendar time and birth cohort was examined for selected countries between 1978 and 2012. For each successive 5-year period, age-standardized incidence rates were calculated from Volumes V to XI of the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5) series using the online electronic databases, CI5plus. Large variations persist in liver cancer incidence globally. Rates of liver cancer remain highest in Asian countries, specifically in the East and South-East, and Italy. However, rates in these high-risk countries have been decreasing in recent years. Rates in India and in most countries of Europe, the Americas and Oceania are rising. As the population seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) continues to decline, we anticipate rates of HCC in many high-risk countries will continue to decrease. Treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is likely to bring down rates further in some high-rate, as well as low-rate, countries with access to effective therapies. However, such gains in the control of liver cancer are at risk of being reversed by the growing obesity and diabetes epidemics, suggesting diabetes treatment and primary prevention of obesity will be key in reducing liver cancer in the longer-term.Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this article.

BACKGROUND: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (ICCs) and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (ECCs) are highly lethal bile duct tumors. Their incidence can be difficult to estimate because of changes in cancer coding over time. No studies to date have examined their global incidence and trends with high-quality topography-and histology-specific cancer registry data. Therefore, this study examined ICC and ECC incidence with the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Plus database. METHODS: Regional and national cancer registry data were used to estimate age-standardized incidence rates (ASRs) per 100,000 person-years, 95% confidence intervals, and average annual percent changes (AAPCs) for ICC in 38 countries and for ECC in 33 countries from 1993 to 2012. ICC and ECC trends were tabulated and plotted by country. Rates versus birth cohort by age were plotted, and an age-period-cohort analysis was performed to assess age and cohort incidence rate ratios. RESULTS: The highest rates of ICC and ECC were in Asia, specifically South Korea (ASR for ICC, 2.80; ASR for ECC, 2.24), Thailand (ASR for ICC, 2.19; ASR for ECC, 0.71), and Japan (ASR for ICC, 0.95; ASR for ECC, 0.83). Between 1993 and 2012, incidence rates of both ICC and ECC increased in most countries. The largest ASR increases over the study period occurred in Latvia (AAPC, 20.1%) and China (AAPC, 11.1%) for ICC and in Thailand (AAPC, 8.8%) and Colombia (AAPC, 8.5%) for ECC. CONCLUSIONS: In the 20 years examined, ICC and ECC incidence increased in the majority of countries worldwide. ICC and ECC incidence may continue to increase because of metabolic and infectious etiologic factors. Efforts to further elucidate risk factors contributing to these increases in incidence are warranted. Cancer 2020;126:2666-2678.