"Global cancer statistics 2022" based on the latest GLOBCAN data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) was recently released, providing a systematic analysis of the incidence and mortality of 36 types of cancer across 185 countries worldwide. The international burden of cancer is expected to continue to increase over the next 30 years, posing a severe public health and social challenge for many countries, including China. This article offers a key point interpretation of the "Global cancer statistics 2022", focusing on the evolution of cancer epidemiology and future development trends. The aim is to broaden the international perspective on cancer prevention and treatment, with the hope of providing reference and guidance for cancer prevention and treatment efforts in our country.
ObjectiveTo analyze the changing trend of cancer burden in China from 2005 to 2020, so as to provide reference for the formulation of cancer prevention and control strategies. MethodBased on the report “National and subnational trends in cancer burden in China, 2005–20”, the overall changes in cancer deaths in China by gender, age, urban and rural areas, and different regions of the country were analyzed. Results① Among the whole population, the number of cancer-related deaths and years of life lost (YLLs) in China increased by 21.6% and 5.0% respectively, and the top third leading cause of cancer-related deaths ranked by mortality rate were tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer, liver cancer, and stomach cancer. ② In different gender groups, for the males, the top five leading cause of cancer-related deaths by mortality rate remained unchanged from 2005 to 2020, they were tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, oesophageal cancer, and colon and rectum cancer. The average annual percent change (AAPC) of the age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) increased in 4 of the leading 10 cancers, followed by prostate cancer (1.70 per 100 000), pancreatic cancer (0.95 per 100 000), lymphoma (0.33 per 100 000), and colon and rectum cancer (0.31 per 100 000). For the females, the tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer remained the first leading cancer from 2005 to 2020, the second to the fifth leading cancers by mortality rate showed evident changes, with the liver cancer moving from the third to the second position, the stomach cancer moving from the second to the third position, the colon and rectum cancers moving from the fifth to the fourth position, and the breast cancer moving from the sixth to the fifth position, the pancreatic cancer moving from the ninth to the eighth position. Among the top 10 cancers, only the pancreatic cancer had an increase in AAPC of ASMR (0.67 per 100 000). ③ Among different age groups, the cancer-related mortality in young people (18–44 years old) and middle-aged people (45–59 years old) was much lower than that of the elderly (over 60 years old). ④ The mortality and YLL rates due to cancer in rural areas were higher than those in urban areas for both sexes. The cancer mortality rates of 11 provinces or regions such as Anhui were higher than those the national average value. The mortality, ASMR, YLL rates, and age-standardized YLL rates of all cancer types in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Hebei, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Henan, and Qinghai decreased in the males and which in Jiangsu, Henan, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Shanghai in the females also decreased. The ASMR of the colon and rectum cancer and pancreatic cancer increased significantly in some provinces or regions.ConclusionsFrom 2005 to 2020, there are rising trends in the number of cancer-related deaths and YLLs in China, and there are differences in the gender, age, urban and rural, and regional distribution of cancer burden. The prevention and control situation is grim, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive cancer prevention and control strategy to deal with the changing cancer burden in China.
In 2025, the American Cancer Society published "Cancer Statistics, 2025", which projected cancer data for the upcoming year based on incidence data collected by central cancer registries (through 2021) and mortality data obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics (through 2022). Similarly, the National Cancer Center of China released "Cancer Incidence and Mortality in China, 2022" in December 2024, analyzing data from over 700 cancer registries across the country. This study provides a comparative analysis of cancer incidence and mortality trends in China and the United States during the same period, with a focus on sex- and age-specific distributions and long-term changes in cancer patterns. Long-term trends indicate that lung and liver cancer mortality rates in China have declined, primarily due to tobacco control measures and hepatitis B vaccination programs. However, the burden of gastric and esophageal cancers remains substantial. In the United States, mortality rates for colorectal and lung cancers have continued to decline, largely attributed to widespread screening programs and advances in immunotherapy. As economic growth and social development, China’s cancer profile is gradually shifting towards patterns observed in countries with high human development index. However, the prevention and control of upper gastrointestinal cancers remains a critical public health challenge that requires further attention.