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Burden of Cancer Worldwide
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Burden of Cancer Worldwide

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2026) | Viewed by 7764

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Karina Cardoso Meira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Health School, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
Interests: epidemiology; public policy; social inequalities; cancer mortality and morbidity levels and trends; cancer transition; population-attributable fractions (PAF) for a combination of cancer risk
Dr. Raphael Mendonça Guimarães

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Av. Brasil, 4365 - Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
Interests: epidemiology; public policy; social inequalities; poverty; mortality; levels and trends; epidemiological transition and health transition; causes of death and its changes over long periods; inequality in the population's morbidity and mortality; cancer mortality and morbidity; life expectancy and longevity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Nathalia Sernizon Guimarães

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Collective Health, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 30120-016, Brazil
Interests: epidemiology; public policy; social inequalities; poverty; systematic review with meta-analysis; population-attributable fractions (PAF) for a combination of cancer risk; nutritional transition

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

High cancer incidence rates are estimated for the coming decades, a worrying situation requiring significant investment in prevention, control, and treatment. This profile is due to greater exposure to environmental risk factors, population aging, and changes in reproductive behavior. Neoplasms have a high burden worldwide, with differences in incidence and mortality rates between countries. Cancers associated with infectious agents have a high incidence and mortality in low- and middle-income countries. On the other hand, in high-income countries, there is a greater burden of cancers associated with changes in reproductive behavior, the Westernization of habits, and lifestyle, a phenomenon classified as cancer transition. Inequalities in cancer survival between countries are also noteworthy due to better access to early diagnosis, timely treatment, and high-cost therapeutic innovations in high-income countries. These inequities are also observed at the subnational level, reflecting differences in the demographic and epidemiological transition process and inequalities in access to health services. This Special Issue, "Burden of Cancer Worldwide," seeks to explore differences in incidence, mortality, survival, access to cancer care, exposure to risk, and protective factors (individual, environmental, and contextual) across countries and at the subnational level.

Dr. Karina Cardoso Meira
Dr. Raphael Mendonça Guimarães
Dr. Nathalia Sernizon Guimarães
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • mortality
  • morbidity
  • burden of cancer
  • social determinants of health
  • population-attributable fractions

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 3060 KB  
Article
Burden, Regional Trends and Risk Factors of Breast, Cervical, Uterine, and Ovarian Cancers in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1990–2023: The Global Burden of Disease 2023
by Obasanjo Bolarinwa, Sharmake Gaiye Bashir, Joshua Okyere, Yusuf Hared Abdi, Hiba Abdi Salad, Olusegun Dada and Abdulwasiu Ojo Yusuff
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2026, 23(4), 419; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23040419 - 26 Mar 2026
Viewed by 906
Abstract
Background: Sub-Saharan Africa is undergoing a rapid epidemiological transition marked by a growing burden of non-communicable diseases, including breast, cervical, ovarian, and uterine cancers, which constitute major causes of morbidity and mortality among women in the region; however, comprehensive assessments of long-term [...] Read more.
Background: Sub-Saharan Africa is undergoing a rapid epidemiological transition marked by a growing burden of non-communicable diseases, including breast, cervical, ovarian, and uterine cancers, which constitute major causes of morbidity and mortality among women in the region; however, comprehensive assessments of long-term trends and regional heterogeneity remain limited. This study examines the burden and temporal trends of breast, cervical, ovarian, and uterine cancers across sub-Saharan Africa from 1990 to 2023. Methods: A retrospective ecological analysis was conducted using data from the latest Global Burden of Disease 2023 study. Age-standardised incidence rates, mortality rates, and disability-adjusted life year rates were estimated for breast, cervical, ovarian, and uterine cancers across 48 sub-Saharan African countries and four sub-regions. Temporal trends were assessed from 1990 to 2023, with percentage changes calculated to characterise epidemiological transitions. Geographic variation and age-specific patterns were examined to identify high-burden settings and priority populations. Results: Between 1990 and 2023, the burden of all four cancers increased substantially across sub-Saharan Africa, with significant regional and country-level heterogeneity. Breast cancer exhibited the largest absolute burden, with incidence increasing by over 120 percent and mortality by more than 80 percent, particularly in Central and Western Africa. Cervical cancer remained the leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women in Eastern and Southern Africa, despite evidence of stabilisation or decline in selected countries. Ovarian and uterine cancers demonstrated sustained upward trends, especially in Central Africa, with high mortality-to-incidence ratios indicating late diagnosis and limited treatment access. Across all cancer types, Central and Eastern sub-Saharan Africa consistently experienced the highest disability-adjusted life year burdens. Conclusions: The burden of the selected cancers in sub-Saharan Africa has increased markedly over the past three decades, with persistent regional inequities reflecting gaps in prevention, early detection, and treatment capacity. Strengthening cancer surveillance systems, expanding equitable access to screening and vaccination programmes, and improving diagnostic and treatment infrastructure are critical to reversing current trends. These findings provide region-specific evidence to guide cancer control priorities and resource allocation across sub-Saharan Africa. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Burden of Cancer Worldwide)
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11 pages, 1512 KB  
Article
MPOWER Tobacco Control Policies’ Effects on Lip and Oral Cavity Cancer Trends in MERCOSUR Countries
by Laila Menezes Hagen, Fernanda Joly Macedo, Amanda Ramos da Cunha, Fernando Neves Hugo and José Miguel Amenábar
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(4), 644; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22040644 - 19 Apr 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1300
Abstract
Background: As tobacco is the main risk factor for oral cancer, it is important to understand the burden of this disease in light of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. For MERCOSUR, tobacco control is a topic of interest. The aim of this [...] Read more.
Background: As tobacco is the main risk factor for oral cancer, it is important to understand the burden of this disease in light of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. For MERCOSUR, tobacco control is a topic of interest. The aim of this study was to describe MPOWER measure scores and to evaluate the trends in lip and oral cavity cancer (LOC) incidence, mortality and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), from 2005 to 2021, in MERCOSUR countries. Methods: This is an ecological descriptive study, where the MPOWER measure scores were extracted from the Global Health Observatory of World Health Organization, and the Age-standardized Rates (ASRs) of LOC for MERCOSUR countries were obtained from the Global Burden of Diseases 2021 results tool. The trends of LOC ASRs were obtained using the Prais–Winsten method. Results: Paraguay and Venezuela had lower MPOWER scores over time than Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. These last three countries showed LOC trends decreasing for most indicators among males, while Paraguay and Venezuela showed increasing trends in incidence for both males and females, and no decreasing trends. Conclusion: This study suggests that MERCOSUR countries with a history of more rigorous MPOWER tobacco control policies are exhibiting decreasing trends in LOC burden. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Burden of Cancer Worldwide)
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Review

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13 pages, 1408 KB  
Review
Diet and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Scoping Review
by Marcela Gomes Reis, Lucas Carvalho Lopes, Ana Beatriz Amaral M. De A. Sanches, Nathalia Sernizon Guimarães and Roberta Rayra Martins-Chaves
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(9), 1199; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091199 - 10 Sep 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4254
Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the sixth most common type of cancer globally. While smoking is a key risk factor, rising cases in non-smokers highlight the need to explore other factors like diet. This scoping review aims to deepen the evidence on [...] Read more.
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the sixth most common type of cancer globally. While smoking is a key risk factor, rising cases in non-smokers highlight the need to explore other factors like diet. This scoping review aims to deepen the evidence on the relationship between OSCC and diet, following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, and was registered on Open Science Framework. Searches were performed in four electronic databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and Lilacs, without date or language restrictions. Studies were evaluated, extracted, and compiled in a narrative table. Seventeen studies with 10,954 patients were analyzed. Most patients were male (74.63%), aged 18–89 (average 50.62). Studies were mainly from high (82%) and medium (17%) Human Development Index (HDI) countries. Dietary surveys included a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) (58.8%), interviews/questionnaires (17.6%), and an FFQ with a photographic atlas (5.9%). Certain foods in excess like fruits, vegetables, and tea were inversely associated with OSCC, while salty meats, dairy, coffee, sausages, and fried and spicy foods were positively associated. Due to the heterogeneity of the tools used to obtain food frequency data, the results should be interpreted cautiously. New standardized studies and randomized trials are essential to advance understanding and control confounding factors in this field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Burden of Cancer Worldwide)
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