Temporal trends in the incidence and demographics of cancers, communicable diseases, and non-communicable diseases in Saudi Arabia over the last decade

Abstract

Objectives: To describe the trends in the incidence rates of 5 most common cancers, communicable diseases, and non-communicable diseases in Saudi Arabia over the last decade. Methods: The incidence rates of cancers (2001-2014), communicable diseases (2003-2016), and non-communicable diseases (1990-2017) were retrieved, classified, and analyzed retrospectively during November 2017, based on data available with the Ministry of Health and were analyzed at the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University in Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Results: Age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) (per 100,000 population) of breast cancer among women increased dramatically from 11.8 in 2001 to 22.7 in 2014, indicating a 92.4% increase over the decade. Colorectal cancer incidence was the highest among men, and its ASR per 100,000 population increased from 5.0 to 10.6 in men and from 5.0 to 8.2 in women. Among communicable diseases, incidences of hepatitis B, measles, chickenpox, and brucellosis decreased while dengue fever increased. An alarming increase was observed in the incidence rate of non-communicable diseases namely, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Conclusion: The incidence rate of non-communicable diseases increased over the decade and was associated with increased mortality and disability, reduced quality of life, and increased health-care costs, indicating an urgent need to establish prevention and control programs. The rising trend in the incidence of cancers may also become a health care issue in Saudi Arabia in the coming years.

Comparison of health-promoting lifestyle behaviours between female students majoring in healthcare and non-healthcare fields in KSA

“…There were 132 (43%) between the ages of 19 and 21 years and 175 (57%) between the ages of 22 and 24 years. For health profession students studying at IAU in the KSA, 16 216 of the 249 students responded, resulting in a response rate of 87%. Ninety-five (44%) of those respondents were third-year students, and 121 (56%) were fourth-year students.…”

“…Herzallah (2019) 16 suggested in his recent research that morbidity and mortality have considerably increased in the KSA as a result of noncommunicable lifestyle-related diseases 16 . Lifestyle changes can have strong implications on the health and wellbeing of an individual and in turn on generations.…”

Knowledge, attitude and practice towards early screening of colorectal cancer in Riyadh

“…Colorectal cancer is common in Saudi Arabia. [ 21 22 23 ] Early diagnosis is essential for reducing mortality since CRC has an excellent prognosis if detected in early stages. [ 24 25 ] This only possible by screening or incidentally.…”

TP53 Mutation in Saudi Breast Cancer Patients: Correlations with Cancer Stem Cell Markers Expression and Clinicopathological Variables

“…Furthermore, a high prevalence of breast cancer mortality has been noticed among Saudi women lately. This highlights the very low rate of breast cancer screening and the need to intensify the screening rates in Saudi Arabia [6].…”

“…CSCs are capable of high proliferation rate, self-renewal, and multidirectional differentiation associated with an important role in tumorigenesis, growth, invasion, metastasis, and recurrence [4]. Minimizing the rate of breast cancer recurrence and improving the rate of the cure in clinical practice has been based on the intense exploration of CSCs [6,7].…”