Global Disparities in Cancer Cases, Deaths Among Men: Daily Dose

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Patient Care brings primary care clinicians a lot of medical news every day—it’s easy to miss an important study. The Daily Dose provides a concise summary of one of the website's leading stories you may not have seen.

On August 16, 2024, we reported on a study published in the journal Cancer that analyzed the global burden of 30 types of cancer among men, and provided projections for 2050.

The study

Investigators used the 2022 Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) estimates to examine the global burden of 30 types of cancer among men in 185 countries/territories. The GLOBOCAN repository includes national-level estimates for cancer cases, deaths, and rates for each country/territory. Mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs) were determined by dividing age-standardized mortality rates by incidence rates.

The findings

In 2022, the researchers observed a high MIR—an indicator for poor survival—among older men (aged 65 years and older; 61%) for rare types of cancer (eg, pancreatic cancer, 90.9%) and in countries with a low Human Development Index (HDI; 74%).

Between 2022 and 2050, cancer cases are projected to increase more than 84% (10.3 million to 19 million), while deaths are projected to increase by over 93% (5.4 million to 10.5 million), with a more than 2-fold increase among men aged 65 years and older and for low- and medium-HDI countries/territories (≥117% and ≥160%, respectively). In addition, cancer cases and deaths are projected to increase among working-age groups (aged 15 to 64 years; (≥39%) and very-high-HDI countries/territories (≥50%).

Authors' comment

"This study provides comprehensive evidence for understanding the existing disparities in cancer outcomes among men, thereby building a case for collective efforts to reduce inequalities and enhance cancer outcomes."

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