Freddie Bray’s research while affiliated with International Agency for Research on Cancer and other places

Objective: This study evaluates the survival of children and adolescents diagnosed with the five most prevalent malignant solid neoplasms in the 0-19 age group between 2000 and 2023 in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: A population-based epidemiological study with a descriptive-analytical design was conducted using data from 77 hospitals registered at the Fundação Oncocentro de São Paulo, following the International Classification of Childhood Cancer (ICCC). The time intervals between consultation, diagnosis, and treatment initiation were analyzed. Survival was estimated using the Peto-Peto method, while the Benjamin-Hochberg method was applied to control type I errors in the statistical analysis when identifying associations between patient characteristics and clinical outcomes. Results: A total of 11,067 patients were included, of whom 53.5% were male, all diagnosed through microscopic confirmation. The most frequent neoplasms were central nervous system tumors (34.3%), bone tumors (21.1%), soft tissue tumors (18.6%), germ cell tumors (14.2%), and retinoblastomas (11.9%). The most common treatment was surgery combined with chemotherapy (26.5%), followed by surgery alone (20.5%) and chemotherapy alone (15.6%). The mean time between consultation and diagnosis was 22.94 ± 69.93 days, with statistically significant differences between treatment types and recurrences (p < 0.05). The mean time from diagnosis to treatment initiation was 25.46 ± 39.71 days, showing statistical variation between sexes in germ cell tumors (p = 0.0054), but no significant differences for treatments of these tumors (p = 0.0793) or retinoblastoma recurrences (p = 0.0697). Conclusions: Survival curves indicate variations among pediatric solid tumor subtypes, highlighting disparities in diagnostic and treatment times, even in a state with a high density of specialized healthcare services. These findings emphasize the need for strategies to reduce delays and improve access, directly impacting patient survival.

Objective We provide an overview of the latest estimates of five gastrointestinal (GI) cancers in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) countries to guide cancer control policy. Methods We extracted the number of cases and deaths for oesophageal, gastric, liver, colorectal and pancreatic cancers from the GLOBOCAN database produced as estimated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer for the year 2022. Age-standardised incidence and mortality rates (ASR) per 100 000 person-years were estimated for the 22 EMR countries, cancer site and sex. Results The estimated 173 000 new cancer cases and 139 000 deaths from the five GI cancers corresponded to 22.2% of the incidence and 28.7% of the mortality burden in the EMR. Across all cancers (for both sexes combined), colorectal cancer ranked third (6.9%; ASR 8.9), followed by liver cancer (6.2%; ASR 8.4) in terms of incidence, while liver cancer (9.6%; ASR 8.1) and gastric cancer (6.4%; ASR 5.5) were the third and fourth leading causes of cancer-related mortality in the region, respectively. Marked differences in cancer incidence and mortality rates were observed between the 22 countries, particularly the 10-fold variations seen in liver cancer incidence. Conclusion GI cancers currently account for an important fraction of the cancer burden in the EMR; the present analysis seeks to inform tailored decision-making according to the country-specific GI cancer profiles.

Background Global comparisons of the burden and impact of cancers of the brain and central nervous system (CNS) are critical for developing effective control strategies and generating etiological hypotheses to drive future research. Methods National incidence estimates were obtained from GLOBOCAN 2022, and recorded incidence data from the Cancer in Five Continents series, both developed and compiled by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. We examined the estimated age-standardized incidence rates in 185 countries, as well as time trends in recorded incidence in 35 countries, quantifying the direction and change in the magnitude of the rates using the estimated average percentage change (EAPC). Results In 2022, 322,000 new cases of brain and CNS tumors were estimated globally. By world region, the highest incidence rate was seen in Northern America (5.46 per 100,000), Eastern Asia (3.95), and Western Europe (5.56). Africa had relatively lower incidence rates. By country and age group, Austria and the U.S. exhibited the highest rates in boys (3.5 in both), while in adolescents and young adults (AYA), Norway had the highest incidence rates in both males (4.7) and females (3.8). Among adults (+ 40yo), the highest rates in males were observed in the Northern European countries of Norway (18.6), Lithuania (18.4), and Latvia (16.7). In terms of time trends, incidence rates tended to be rather stable in most world regions over the last decade, though increases were observed in selected countries. Trends-based predictions indicate that if incidence rates remain stable, population ageing and growth would mean there would be 474,000 new cases by the year 2045, a 47% increase from 2022. Conclusion While the increased incidence rates in certain populations require further study, the future predictions based on stable rates to 2045 are of particular concern, with a close to 50% increase in the number of brain and CNS cancer patients expected over the coming decades. A global 2% decline in rates would be needed to ensure the future brain and CNS cancer burden does not exceed present levels.

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic substantially impacted the delivery of cancer services and programs. Here we reviewed and synthesized the global scale and impact of pandemic-related delays and disruptions on cancer services, including diagnosis, diagnostic procedures, screening, treatment and supportive and palliative care. Based on data from 245 articles in 46 countries, we observed declines in the number of cancer screening participation (39.0%), diagnoses (23.0%), diagnostic procedures (24.0%) and treatment (28.0%), ranging from a 15.0% decline for radiotherapy to a 35.0% decline for systemic treatment during the pandemic compared to during the prepandemic period. Medium-human development index (HDI) category countries experienced greater reductions than high- and very-high-HDI countries. Missing data from low-HDI countries emphasize the need for increased investments in cancer surveillance and research in these settings. PROSPERO registration: CRD42022301816

The data sources and methods used to develop global cancer incidence and mortality statistics—the GLOBOCAN estimates—for the year 2022 are documented in this article, alongside a brief overview of the global cancer burden. The estimates, made available in 185 countries or territories worldwide for 36 cancer sites by sex and age, are based on the best available local data sources, namely population‐based cancer registries (for incidence) and national vital statistics (for mortality). In males, lung cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide in 2022 (1.57 million new cases [95% UI: 1.56–1.58]), followed by prostate cancer (1.47 million [1.46–1.48]). With 2.30 million (2.28–2.30) new cases estimated in 2022, breast cancer was the most diagnosed cancer in females, followed by lung cancer (0.91 million [0.90–0.91 million]) and cervical cancer (0.66 million [0.66–0.67]). The most common causes of cancer death in males and females were lung cancer (1.23 million [1.22–1.24]) and breast cancer (0.67 million [0.66–0.67]), respectively.

Background Multiple myeloma (MM) is an important haematological malignancy in older adults, with a relatively poor prognosis. We aimed to present the current global patterns of incidence and mortality from MM, and predict new cases and deaths by 2045. Methods Estimated numbers of MM cases and deaths and age-standardized (World) incidence and mortality rates per 100,000 people were obtained from the GLOBOCAN 2022 database covering 185 countries. Based on the incidence and mortality rates for 2022 and UN population estimates up to 2045, cases and deaths were predicted up to 2045. Findings Globally, 188,000 MM cases and 121,000 deaths were estimated in 2022. Eastern Asia and Northern America accounted for one-fifth of all cases each (21% and 19% respectively), followed by South-Central Asia (11%), and Western Europe (9%). The incidence rates were higher in men than in women with similar geographical patterns. While the incidence rates were highest in Northern America and Australia/New Zealand (≥4/100,000 for both sexes combined), the highest mortality rates (1.8/100,000) were found in Australia/New Zealand, Northern Europe, and Southern Africa. In the absence of changing rates, the estimated incidence and mortality of MM will increase by 71% and 79%, respectively by 2045 relative to 2022. Interpretation Our study highlights the substantial burden and variations in MM incidence and mortality reflecting global disparities in diagnosis and treatment. Improved surveillance and better disease control is needed to mitigate the global impact of MM in the presence of population aging and growth.