Context: The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia journal recently published a new study ‘Temporal patterns of cancer burden in Asia, 1990–2019: a systematic examination for the Global Burden of Disease 2019’.
Temporal Patterns of Cancer Burden in Asia: Key Highlights from the Lancet Report
- Cancer related Cases: China had the highest cancer burden in Asia in 2019 — 4.8 million new cases and 2.7 million deaths. India recorded 1.2 million new cases and 929,600 deaths.
- Japan ranked third with 887,300 new cases and 437,700 deaths.
- Cancer as a Major Public Health Threat: Cancer emerged as a significant public health concern in Asia witnessing 9.4 million new cases and 5.6 million deaths in 2019, marking a substantial increase from 2.8 million in 1990.
- Tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer (both sexes), breast cancer (among females), colon and rectum cancer (both sexes), stomach cancer (both sexes), and prostate cancer (among males) were among top five cancers in most Asian countries.
- Cancer disability-adjusted life years (DALYs): The burden of cancers, measured in terms of DALYs, rose to 144.7 million in 2019, compared to 86.2 million in 1990.
- The researchers examined cancer disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and deaths attributable to 34 risk factors between 1990 and 2019.
- Among the 49 countries surveyed in the Asian continent, 15 had a DALYs count exceeding 1 million, with China (67.3 million DALYs) and India (27.1 million DALYs) leading the list.
- Major Risk Causing Factor: Smoking emerged as the significant risk factor for both genders.
- Smoking-related cancers caused 33.1 million DALYs. This was followed by alcohol use and then ambient particulate matter (PM) pollution in 2019.
- Apart from tobacco smoking and ambient air pollution, high prevalence of smokeless tobacco such as khaini, gutkha, betel quid, and paan masala is a public health concern in South Asian countries such as India, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
- Lip and oral cavity cancer: India alone accounted for 32.9 percent of global deaths and 28.1 per cent of new cases of lip and oral cavity cancer in 2019.
- As per the global adult tobacco survey (GATS), 199.4 million adults in India consumed smokeless tobacco (SMT).
- More than 50 per cent of the oral cancer burden is caused directly as a result of SMT, with the incidence growing in South Asia, including India.
Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs)
- According to the World Health Organization, one DALY represents the loss of the equivalent of one year of full health.
- It is calculated as the sum of the years of life lost either due to premature mortality and or the years lived with a disability due to an illness.
Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS)
- The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) is a global standard for systematically monitoring adult tobacco use (smoking and smokeless) and tracking key tobacco control indicators.
- It enables countries to collect data on adult tobacco use and key tobacco control measures.
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News Source: DTE
January 4, 2024