Cancer death among older men will rise 93% globally by 2050, an Australian team and their collaborators report. They predict cancer cases in all men will increase from 10.3 million to 19 million (84%) between 2022 and 2050. The increase will be especially notable among the elderly and in countries with a lower standard of living.
Their study appears online in Cancer, a journal of the American Cancer Society. The first author is Habtamu Mellie Bizuayehu, PhD, of the University of Queensland, in Australia.
“A national and international collaboration, as well as a coordinated multisectoral approach, are essential to improve current cancer outcomes and to reverse the anticipated rise in cancer burden by 2050. Implementing and expanding universal health coverage and expanding health infrastructure and establishing publicly funded medical schools and scholarships for training medical and public health staff can improve cancer care and equity,” said Bizuayehu.
Worldwide, cancer is the second leading cause of premature death, after cardiovascular diseases, but it is projected to be the leading cause of death by the end of this century. It carries high health, social, and financial effects. Its economic burden is estimated at $25.3B globally in 2017 and it is estimated it will cost $25.2T between 2020 and 2050.
Men face higher rates of cancer and cancer-related deaths than women, possibly due to such factors as lower participation in cancer prevention activities, underuse of screening and treatment options, increased exposure to cancer risk factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption, occupational exposure to carcinogens, and biological differences.
The team analyzed 30 cancer types among men, uncovering substantial disparities in cancer cases and deaths by age and countries’ economic status.
They assessed the burden of cancer in men of different ages and living in different regions of the world using 2022 information from the Global Cancer Observatory, which encompasses national-level estimates for cancer cases and deaths for 185 countries/territories worldwide. The projected cancer cases and deaths in 2050 were derived through demographic projections: the researchers multiplied the 2022 age-specific rates with their corresponding population projections for 2050.
In 2022, poorer survival was observed among older men for rare cancer types, such as pancreatic cancer, and in countries with low human development index.
Between 2022 and 2050, cancer cases are projected to increase from 10.3 million to 19 million, an 84% increase. Deaths are projected to increase from 5.4 million to 10.5 million, a 93% increase, with a greater than two-fold increase among men aged 65+ years and for countries/territories with low and medium human development index.
The points to an ominous trend and highlights the need to ensure equity in cancer prevention and care among men globally.
“Emphasis should be placed on low and medium human development index countries with high unmet cancer service needs despite a significant cancer burden,” said Bizuayehu.
He added, “Bizuayehu added that improving access to and use of cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment options, especially for older men, could also improve cancer outcomes and equity.”
