Cancer patterns, trends and projections in Latin America and the Caribbean: a global context

Abstract

Objective. To develop a situation analysis encompassing the patterns and trends in cancer incidence and mortality in South and Central America and the Caribbean, with comparisons globally and with selected external countries. Materials and methods. Data on cancer incidence and mortality rates for 31 countries were obtained from the 2012 GLOBOCAN database. Incidence and mortality trends for selected countries were analysed with data from the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5) series and the WHO Mortality Database, respectively. Results. In 2012, almost 1.1 million new cancer cases were estimated annually, with important variations in rates across countries. The most common cancer types were breast, prostate, colorectum and lung cancer; stomach and cervical cancer ranked high in less developed countries. Increasing trends were observed in prostate, breast and colorectal cancer; lung cancer mortality trends diverged among males and females, while cervix cancer incidence and stomach cancer mortality uniformly decreased. A 66% increase in cancer cases in the region by 2030 is projected based on population aging and growth. Conclusions. Cancer patterns and trends reflect the significant sociodemographic changes in the region: the growing burden imposes great challenges to national health care systems to implement cancer control actions, while improving cancer surveillance to effectively measure the response.Keywords: cancer; mortality; incidence; Latin America ResumenObjetivo. Analizar la situación y tendencias en la incidencia y mortalidad por cáncer en América del Sur, Central y el Caribe, en comparación con patrones mundiales. Material y métodos. Los datos de incidencia y mortalidad por cáncer de 31 países se obtuvieron de la base de datos de GLOBOCAN 2012. Para analizar las tendencias de incidencia y mortalidad en países seleccionados, los datos se obtuvieron de la serie Incidencia de Cáncer en Cinco Continentes (CI5) y de la base de datos de mortalidad de la OMS, respectivamente. Resultados. En 2012, se estimaron casi 1.1 millones de nuevos casos de cáncer al año, con variaciones importantes en las tasas entre los distintos países. Los tipos de cáncer más comunes fueron cáncer de mama, próstata, colon y recto, y de pulmón; los cánceres de estómago y cuello uterino ocuparon puestos altos en los países menos desarrollados. Se observaron tendencias crecientes en cáncer de próstata, mama y colorrectal; las tendencias de mortalidad por cáncer de pulmón presentaron tendencias divergentes entre hombres y mujeres, mientras que la incidencia de cáncer de cuello uterino y la mortalidad por cáncer de estómago disminuyeron. Para el año 2030 se espera un incremento del 66% en los casos de cáncer. Conclusiones. Los patrones y tendencias del cáncer reflejan los importantes cambios sociodemográficos en la región e imponen grandes desafíos a los sistemas de salud para responder a la creciente carga, así como para mejorar la vigilancia del cáncer.

Global cancer statistics 2018: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries

“…These trends have been followed by declines as the pool of prevalent cases diminishes; in the United States, the 2012 recommendation against the routine use of PSA testing by the US Preventive Services Task Force may have partly driven trends downward in recent years (although this organization currently recommends that this decision should be an individual one), whereas incidence in the Nordic countries has either declined (Denmark, Finland, and Sweden) or has been stable (Norway) since the middle 2000s . However, rates are on the rise in countries where PSA testing became more widely used later, including the United Kingdom, Japan, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Thailand . Incidence is also rising in several African populations, including Kampala (Uganda) and in the black population of Harare (Zimbabwe), although, because the registry catchment areas comprise urban populations, it remains difficult to attribute the trends to changes in risk or to enhanced diagnostic capabilities and increased PSA testing …”

Lung cancer—A global perspective

“…Five‐year relative survival varies from 2% in Libya to 30% in Japan although there are substantial within‐country differences . In the United States, death from lung cancer accounted for more than 27% of productivity costs . A study of the health‐care cost and productivity losses in the European Union determined lung cancer had the highest economic cost of all malignancies .…”

Effect of metformin on the survival of patients with ALL who express high levels of the ABCB1 drug resistance gene

“…Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most frequent malignancy in children and adolescents [1, 2] and is characterized by lack of control in the normal mechanisms of proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis inhibition. Despite the great diversity of treatments, cure remains unfavorable in adult patients: the cure rate is almost 90% in children but is unfortunately approximately 30–40% in adults [3, 4].…”