By Maxwell Awumah
Ho, Sept 21, GNA-A new study published in The Lancet Oncology using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 results found from 1990 to 2023, cancer incident cases increased by 229 per cent, from 467,000 estimated cases in 1990 to 1.54 million in 2023.
There were an estimated 923,000 deaths and 33.9 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs, or years of healthy life lost) across all ages and both sexes in 2023, according to its release shared with Ghana News Agency.
Its key findings: were in Africa, 10.7 million DALYs and 306,000 cancer deaths in 2023 were attributable to 88 risk factors. This made up 31.6% of total DALYs and 33.1% of total cancer deaths across all ages and both sexes.
In 2023, breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, and colorectal cancer were the leading incident cases in both sexes and all ages. Breast and cervical cancer accounted for 45.9% of all female cancer deaths. Prostate; liver; tracheal, bronchus, and lung; and colorectal cancers accounted for 51.2% of all male cancer deaths.
It said childhood cancer (cancer among individuals aged 0 to 19 years) in Africa accounted for 104,000 incident cases and 54,700 deaths, representing 27.7% of the global childhood cancer incidence and 38% of global childhood cancer deaths in 2023.
Cancer remains a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with a disproportionately rising burden across Africa. Effective policy responses have been consistently hampered by fragmented and incomplete cancer surveillance data.
It said using the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023, we estimated the burden of 48 cancer types across all 54 African countries over the period 1990 to 2023. These age-disaggregated and sex-disaggregated findings provide a crucial empirical foundation to inform regional control strategies and monitor progress towards global health targets.
Methods
The researchers applied GBD 2023 methodology to estimate fatal and non-fatal outcomes of cancer alongside risk-attributable burden from 88 modifiable risk factors, across all 54 African countries with the estimation of cancer burden attributable to risk factors followed the comparative risk assessment framework.
Estimates of incidence, mortality, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were stratified by age, sex, location, and year (1990–2023) and reported as counts and age-standardised rates per 100 000 population. Mean estimates represent the mean across 250 draws, with 95% uncertainty intervals calculated from the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles.
Findings were, in 2023, cancer, including non-melanoma skin cancer, accounted for an estimated 1·54 million (95% uncertainty interval 1·37–1·75) incident cases, 923 000 (824 000–1 020 000) deaths, and 33·9 million (30·6–37·1) DALYs across all ages and both sexes, of which 98·2% (97·9–98·3) were attributable to YLLs.
It noted, in Africa, 10·7 million (8·9–12·9) DALYs and 306 000 (254 000–363 000) cancer deaths in 2023 were attributable to the 88 risk factors assessed in GBD 2023, equivalent to 31·6% (26·8–35·9) of total DALYs and 33·1% (28·7–37·2) of total cancer deaths across all ages and both sexes. Between 1990 and 2023, deaths attributable to risk factors increased by 216·0% (159·3–284·5) for both sexes combined.
In 2023, incident cancer cases among females numbered 960 000 (821 000–1 130 000), with breast and cervical cancers together accounting for 53·5% (44·7–62·2) of all female incident cases. In males, prostate, liver, tracheal, bronchus and lung, and colorectal cancers were the leading types, together accounting for 44·8% (36·2–54·3) of all male cancers in Africa in 2023.
It said Childhood cancers (ages 0–19 years) in Africa accounted for 104 000 (84 600–130 000) incident cases and 54 700 (47 500–64 500) deaths, representing 27·7% (26·6–29·4) of global incidence and 38·0% (36·3–40·0) of global deaths in 2023.
The study indicated Cancers in adolescents and young adults (ages 15–39 years) contributed 26·6% (26·4–27·5) of total cancer DALYs in Africa, those in older adults aged 40–64 years contributed 44·8% (43·8–45·6), and those in adults aged 65 years and older contributed 18·3% (17·4–19·1).
Interpretation
Cancer is a growing contributor to the disease burden in Africa, with rising cases, deaths, and DALYs disproportionately affecting children, adolescents, and young adults.
The increase in age-standardised mortality and DALY rates stands in sharp contrast to the ambitions of the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 and the African Union Agenda 2063.
Addressing this burden will require coordinated national and international action, with health-system strengthening and context-specific cancer-control strategies spanning prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment.
Gates Foundation provided funding for the study.
GNA
Edited by: Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reported By: Maxwell Awumah
Email: [email protected]