Global Burden of Esophageal Cancer Remains Considerable

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 18, 2024 (HealthDay News) — The burden of esophageal cancer (EC) remains substantial worldwide, with an upward trend seen in age-related EC burden, according to a study recently published in Cancer, Biology & Medicine.

Yi Teng, from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College in Beijing, and colleagues examined the global burden of EC and assessed temporal trends and factors influencing changes in the burden. Mortality and disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) rates for EC were sourced from 1990 to 2019 from the 2019 Global Burden of Diseases.

The researchers found that in 2022, an estimated 511,054 new cases of EC were diagnosed, with 445,391 deaths worldwide; about 75 percent of cases and deaths were in Asia. In 2019, in men, nearly 50 percent of global EC deaths and DALYs were attributable to tobacco use; in women, a high body mass index (BMI) accounted for 20 percent. From 1990 to 2019, declining trends were seen in EC deaths and DALYs attributable to almost all risk factors, while upward trends were seen for EC deaths and DALYs attributable to high BMI in men. There was an upward trend observed in age-related EC burden, driven by population growth and aging, which contributed to 307,400 EC deaths and 7.2 million DALYs.

“The burden of EC remains substantial and shows an upward trend worldwide, particularly in males,” the authors write. “Effective measures to control tobacco use and obesity are critical for addressing the risk-attributable burden of EC.”

Abstract/Full Text