Over 185,748 new cancer cases, 118,631 deaths reported in Pakistan in 2022

• Tobacco, alcohol, obesity main risk factors behind cancer.
• In 2022, approximately 30,682 women died from breast cancer.
• WHO publishes survey results from 115 countries.

ISLAMABAD: About 118,631 people, including 58,934 men and 59,697 women, in Pakistan died of cancer in the year 2022, while 185,748 new cases of cancer were reported across the country.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialized cancer agency under the World Health Organization (WHO), stated the above in its latest report.

More than 35 million new cases of cancer are expected worldwide in 2050 and a 77% increase from the estimated 20 million cases resulting in 9.7 million deaths worldwide in 2022, IARC predicted in its report.

The agency said tobacco, alcohol and obesity are key risk factors behind the rising incidence of cancer, with air pollution continuing to be a key driver of environmental risk factors.

According to the IARC Pakistan fact sheet, breast cancer was the leading cause of death in the country, with the highest number of cases, followed by lip, oral cavity and lung cancer.

Of the 98,180 new cancer cases reported in women, breast cancer was at the top, followed by lip, oral cavity and ovarian cancer. Meanwhile, of the 87,568 new cancer cases in men, cancer of the lips and oral cavity was the leading cancer followed by lung and colon cancer.

Approximately 30,682 women died due to breast cancer in Pakistan in 2022, while 15,915 people including men and women died due to lip, oral cavity cancer, 9,464 people died due to lung cancer, approximately 9,447 people died due to colon cancer bowel, about 9,289 died of esophageal cancer while 110,951 people died of other types of cancer.

WHO also published survey results from 115 countries, showing that the majority of countries do not adequately fund priority cancer and palliative care services as part of universal health coverage (UHC).

In 2022, an estimated 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million deaths worldwide. The estimated number of people living within 5 years of a cancer diagnosis was 53.5 million. About 1 in 5 people develop cancer in their lifetime, about 1 in 9 men and 1 in 12 women die from the disease.

The WHO global survey on UHC and cancer shows that only 39% of participating countries covered the basics of cancer management as part of funded basic health services for all citizens, “health benefit packages” (HBPs). Only 28% of participating countries covered extra care for people who need palliative care, including pain relief in general, not just cancer-related.

New estimates available from IARC’s World Cancer Observatory show that 10 types of cancer collectively accounted for about two-thirds of new cases and deaths worldwide in 2022. The data covers 185 countries and 36 cancers.

Lung cancer was the most common cancer worldwide with 2.5 million new cases representing 12.4% of all new cases. Female breast cancer ranked second (2.3 million cases, 11.6%), followed by colon cancer (1.9 million cases, 9.6%), prostate cancer (1.5 million cases , 7.3%) and stomach cancer (970,000 cases, 4.9%).

Lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer death (1.8 million deaths, 18.7% of total cancer deaths) followed by colon cancer (900,000 deaths, 9.3%), liver cancer ( 760,000 deaths, 7.8%), breast cancer (670,000 deaths, 6.9%) and stomach cancer (660,000 deaths, 6.8%). The re-emergence of lung cancer as the most common cancer is likely related to persistent tobacco use in Asia.

There were some gender differences in global incidence and mortality for both sexes. For women, the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death was breast cancer, while for men it was lung cancer. Breast cancer was the most common cancer in women in the vast majority of countries (157 out of 185).

For men, prostate and colon cancer were the second and third most common cancers, while liver and colon cancer were the second and third most common causes of cancer death. For women, lung and colon cancer were second and third for both the number of new cases and deaths.

Cervical cancer was the eighth most common cancer worldwide and the ninth leading cause of cancer death, accounting for 661,044 new cases and 348,186 deaths. It is the most common cancer in women in 25 countries, many of which are in sub-Saharan Africa. Even if different levels of incidence are recognized, cervical cancer can be eliminated as a public health problem through scaling up the WHO’s Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative.

Global estimates reveal striking disparities in the burden of cancer according to human development. This is especially true for breast cancer. In countries with a very high HDL, 1 in 12 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime and 1 in 71 women will die from it. Conversely, in countries with a low HDI. while only one in 27 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, one in 48 women will die from it.

“Women in countries with a lower APR are 50% less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than women in countries with a high APR, yet they are at a much higher risk of dying from the disease due to late diagnosis and inadequate access to quality treatment,” she explains . Dr. Isabelle Soerjomataram, Deputy Chief of the Cancer Surveillance Branch at IARC.

The WHO global HBP survey also revealed significant global disparities in cancer services. Lung cancer-related services were reportedly 4–7 times more likely to be included in HBP in a high-income country than in a lower-income country. On average, radiation services were four times more likely to be covered in an HBP in a high-income country than in a lower-income country. The largest difference for any service was stem cell transplantation, which was 12 times more likely to be included in a high-income country’s HBP than a lower-income country’s.

“New global WHO research sheds light on the wide disparities and lack of financial protection for cancer around the world, with populations, especially in lower-income countries, unable to access the basics of cancer care” , said Dr. Bente Mikkelsen, Director of the Department. of non-communicable diseases at WHO. “WHO, including through its cancer initiatives, works intensively with more than 75 governments to develop, finance and implement policies to promote cancer care for all. To scale up this work, significant investment is urgently needed to address global inequalities in cancer outcomes.”

Tobacco, alcohol and obesity are key factors behind the rising incidence of cancer, with air pollution still a key driver of environmental risk factors.

In terms of absolute burden, high HDI countries are expected to show the largest absolute increase in incidence, with an additional 4.8 million new cases predicted in 2050 compared to 2022 estimates. However, the proportional increase in incidence is more striking in low HDI countries (142% increase) and medium HDI countries (99%). Similarly, cancer mortality in these countries is projected to nearly double by 2050.

“The impact of this increase will not be felt equally across countries of different HDI levels. Those with the fewest resources to manage their cancer burdens will bear the brunt of the global cancer burden,” says Dr Freddie Bray, Head of the Cancer Surveillance Branch at IARC.

“Despite progress made in early detection of cancers and in the treatment and care of cancer patients — there are significant differences in cancer treatment outcomes not only between high- and low-income regions of the world, but also within countries.

“Where someone lives should not determine whether they live. There are tools that allow governments to prioritize cancer care and ensure that everyone has access to affordable, quality services. This is not just a matter of resources, but a matter of political will “, says. Dr. Cary Adams, head of the UICC – Union for International Cancer Control.