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Cancer deaths and deaths in Africa are expected to double over the next two decades, reaching 2.1 million new cases and 1.4 million deaths by 2040, according to a new study.
In addition, the region does not have sufficient health resources and infrastructure to cope with the growing burden, the researchers report.
Researchers point out that changes in diet and lifestyle, along with behavioral and environmental risk factors, can contribute to the increase.
The findings are insightful because they clarify critical needs and can help allocate resources. Researchers warn that unless measures are taken to raise awareness, improve prevention and mitigate risk factors, these increases are likely to overwhelm care capacity levels, delay cancer testing and limit patients’ treatment options.
“A growing crisis of cancer incidence and mortality in Africa calls for urgent action: information, prevention, screening and treatment of cancer,” said Paddy Ssentongo, an adjunct professor in Penn State’s Department of Public Health Sciences. principal investigator of the study. in Borders in Public Health.
The researchers collected information from the World Cancer Observatory database of the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The online system, GLOBOCAN 2020, includes data from 185 countries around the world and provides incidence and mortality rates for 36 cancers by 2020.
The researchers looked at the country-specific incidence and mortality of 34 cancers in 54 African countries. The study examined patient demographics and the association between major cancers and socioeconomic status. Researchers explored healthcare infrastructure and used 2020 data to predict the cancer burden in Africa by 2040.
According to the findings, Africa had 1.1 million new cancer cases and 711,429 cancer deaths by 2020. Researchers found that breast, cervical, prostate, colorectal and liver cancers were the main groups of cancer. cancer in Africa. During this time, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa were among the most prominent countries for cancer deaths.
The study shows that women are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer and die than men in Africa. Among women, breast cancer was the leading form of new cancer cases and deaths, while prostate cancer was the largest cancer among men in 2020. Meanwhile, researchers found that colorectal cancer occupied a high place for people from 54 countries.
Researchers say the data indicate that most African countries are ill-equipped to cope with growing demand for care. Twenty-eight of the 43 countries studied had a cancer registry and less than half of the countries had cancer-related policies, strategies or action plans.
To better prepare for the future, researchers suggest implementing a holistic and versatile approach to cancer care. Based on the evidence, health care providers can improve patient outcomes through awareness campaigns, vaccines, prevention strategies, and expanding the ability to treat cancer.
“The disease landscape in Africa is undergoing significant changes, with an increase in morbidity and mortality due to non-infectious diseases such as cancer, due to Westernized lifestyles, changes in diet and escalation of environmental and behavioral risk factors, “says the lead co-researcher. Rajesh Sharma, Assistant Professor of Economics at the University School of Management and Entrepreneurship at Delhi University of Technology in India.
“Cancer mortality rates in Africa are comparable to or higher than in other parts of the world, which requires a comprehensive approach to cancer control and management, which includes, among other things, raising awareness of cancer, adopt primary and secondary prevention, mitigate risk factors, Improve cancer infrastructure and timely detection and treatment “.
Other co-authors are from Lancaster University, Delhi University of Technology in India, Relife Family Medical Center in Uganda, Washington State University, Vanderbilt University, Ghana East Regional Hospital and the state. of Penn.
Researchers do not declare conflicts of interest or specific funding for this research.
Source: Penn State