Jacques Ferlay’s research while affiliated with International Agency for Research on Cancer and other places

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Publications (156)


Global cancer incidence estimation methods by country for 2022. [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
Global cancer mortality estimation methods by country for 2022. [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
Leading types of cancer in terms of new cases (incidence) and deaths (mortality) in males in each of the 20 world regions in 2022. [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
Leading types of cancer in terms of new cases (incidence) and deaths (mortality) in females in each of the 20 world regions in 2022. [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
The GLOBOCAN 2022 cancer estimates: Data sources, methods, and a snapshot of the cancer burden worldwide
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December 2024

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184 Reads

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6 Citations

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Mathieu Laversanne

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Jacques Ferlay

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Freddie Bray

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.

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Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries

April 2024

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4,251 Reads

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4,865 Citations

This article presents global cancer statistics by world region for the year 2022 based on updated estimates from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). There were close to 20 million new cases of cancer in the year 2022 (including nonmelanoma skin cancers [NMSCs]) alongside 9.7 million deaths from cancer (including NMSC). The estimates suggest that approximately one in five men or women develop cancer in a lifetime, whereas around one in nine men and one in 12 women die from it. Lung cancer was the most frequently diagnosed cancer in 2022, responsible for almost 2.5 million new cases, or one in eight cancers worldwide (12.4% of all cancers globally), followed by cancers of the female breast (11.6%), colorectum (9.6%), prostate (7.3%), and stomach (4.9%). Lung cancer was also the leading cause of cancer death, with an estimated 1.8 million deaths (18.7%), followed by colorectal (9.3%), liver (7.8%), female breast (6.9%), and stomach (6.8%) cancers. Breast cancer and lung cancer were the most frequent cancers in women and men, respectively (both cases and deaths). Incidence rates (including NMSC) varied from four‐fold to five‐fold across world regions, from over 500 in Australia/New Zealand (507.9 per 100,000) to under 100 in Western Africa (97.1 per 100,000) among men, and from over 400 in Australia/New Zealand (410.5 per 100,000) to close to 100 in South‐Central Asia (103.3 per 100,000) among women. The authors examine the geographic variability across 20 world regions for the 10 leading cancer types, discussing recent trends, the underlying determinants, and the prospects for global cancer prevention and control. With demographics‐based predictions indicating that the number of new cases of cancer will reach 35 million by 2050, investments in prevention, including the targeting of key risk factors for cancer (including smoking, overweight and obesity, and infection), could avert millions of future cancer diagnoses and save many lives worldwide, bringing huge economic as well as societal dividends to countries over the forthcoming decades.



Age-standardized cancer mortality rates (ASR) for six common cancer types by ethnicity in the Regional Health Department (RHD) of Barretos (2003–2017) and the municipality of São Paulo (2001–2015), Brazil, both sexes (A), sex-specific (B and C), all ages
Ethnic disparities in cancer mortality in the capital and northeast of the State of São Paulo, Brazil 2001–17

November 2023

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14 Reads

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2 Citations

Cancer Causes & Control

Purpose There is a paucity of studies investigating cancer disparities in groups defined by ethnicity in transitioning economies. We examined the influence of ethnicity on mortality for the leading cancer types in São Paulo, Brazil, comparing patterns in the capital and the northeast of the state. Methods Cancer deaths were obtained from a Brazilian public government database for the Barretos region (2003–2017) and the municipality of São Paulo (2001–2015). Age-standardized rates (ASR) per 100,000 persons-years, by cancer type and sex, for five self-declared racial classifications (white, black, eastern origin (Asian), mixed ethnicity (pardo), and indigenous Brazilians), were calculated using the world standard population. Results Black Brazilians had higher mortality rates for most common cancer types in Barretos, whereas in São Paulo, white Brazilians had higher rates of mortality from breast, colorectal, and lung cancer. In both regions, lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer death among white, black, and pardo Brazilians, with colorectal cancer deaths leading among Asian Brazilians. Black and pardo Brazilians had higher cervical cancer mortality rates than white Brazilians. Conclusion There are substantial disparities in mortality from different cancers in São Paulo according to ethnicity, pointing to inequities in access to health care services.


Comparison of population age distributions for selected countries in the Cancer Incidence in 5 Continents database.
Crude and adjusted median ages at diagnosis for lung and colon cancers among countries in the Cancer Incidence in 5 Continents database.
Crude and adjusted median ages at diagnosis for female breast and prostate cancers among countries in the Cancer Incidence in 5 Continents database.
Age‐specific incidence rate comparisons for selected countries in the Cancer Incidence in 5 Continents database.
Association between the adjusted median age at lung cancer diagnosis in different countries and smoking prevalence (defined as current tobacco use), stratified by sex.
Age at diagnosis for lung, colon, breast and prostate cancers: An international comparative study

August 2023

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49 Reads

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15 Citations

Differences in the average age at cancer diagnosis are observed across countries. We therefore aimed to assess international variation in the median age at diagnosis of common cancers worldwide, after adjusting for differences in population age structure. We used IARC's Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5) Volume XI database, comprising cancer diagnoses between 2008 and 2012 from population‐based cancer registries in 65 countries. We calculated crude median ages at diagnosis for lung, colon, breast and prostate cancers in each country, then adjusted for population age differences using indirect standardization. We showed that median ages at diagnosis changed by up to 10 years after standardization, typically increasing in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) and decreasing in high‐income countries (HICs), given relatively younger and older populations, respectively. After standardization, the range of ages at diagnosis was 12 years for lung cancer (median age 61‐Bulgaria vs 73‐Bahrain), 12 years for colon cancer (60‐the Islamic Republic of Iran vs 72‐Peru), 10 years for female breast cancer (49‐Algeria, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Korea vs 59‐USA and others) and 10 years for prostate cancer (65‐USA, Lithuania vs 75‐Philippines). Compared to HICs, populations in LMICs were diagnosed with colon cancer at younger ages but with prostate cancer at older ages (both pLMICS‐vs‐HICs < 0.001). In countries with higher smoking prevalence, lung cancers were diagnosed at younger ages in both women and men (both pcorr < 0.001). Female breast cancer tended to be diagnosed at younger ages in East Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Our findings suggest that the differences in median ages at cancer diagnosis worldwide likely reflect population‐level variation in risk factors and cancer control measures, including screening.


Old and new data flow for NORDCAN.
Comparison between previous and current number of incident cases for selected entities produced as a standard output by nordcan.R. The Y-axis represents change in number of cases, the X-axis represents year of cancer counts. The changes in all sites (980) are mainly driven by changes in malignant hematopoietic diseases (430) and urinary tract cancers (280).
Comparison of adjusted incidence rates (World) between GCO, official national statistics and nordcan.R for colorectal cancer in Netherland and Norway, men and women separately.
Tools necessary for nordcan.R users.
Nordcan.R: a new tool for federated analysis and quality assurance of cancer registry data

August 2023

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78 Reads

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9 Citations

Aim of the article We present our new GDPR-compliant federated analysis programme (nordcan.R), how it is used to compute statistics for the Nordic cancer statistics web platform NORDCAN, and demonstrate that it works also with non-Nordic data. Materials and methods We chose R and Stata programming languages for writing nordcan.R. Additionally, the internationally used CRG Tools programme by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO) was employed. A formal assessment of (GDPR-compliant) anonymity of all nordcan.R outputs was performed. In order to demonstrate that nordcan.R also works with non-Nordic data, we used data from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Results nordcan.R, publicly available on Github, takes as input cancer and general population data and produces tables of statistics. Each NORDCAN participant runs nordcan.R locally and delivers its results to IARC for publication. According to our anonymity assessment the data can be shared with international organizations, including IARC. nordcan.R incidence results on Norwegian and Dutch data are highly similar to those produced by two other independent methods. Conclusion nordcan.R produces accurate cancer statistics where all personal and sensitive data are kept within each cancer registry. In the age of strict data protection policies, we have shown that international collaboration in cancer registry research and statistics reporting is achievable with the federated analysis approach. Undertakings similar to NORDCAN should consider using nordcan.R.


Thyroid Cancer Incidence and Mortality by Socioeconomic Level in the State of São Paulo, Brazil 2001-2017

August 2023

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16 Reads

Endocrine Practice

Objective: Thyroid cancer is rising largely due to greater detection of indolent or slow-growing tumours; we sought to compare incidence and mortality profiles of thyroid cancer in the State of São Paulo by socioeconomic status (SES). Methods: Thyroid cancer cases diagnosed 2003-17 in the Barretos Region and 2001-15 in the municipality of São Paulo were obtained from the respective cancer registries. Corresponding deaths were obtained from a Brazilian public government database. Age-standardized rates were calculated and presented as thematic maps. The rates were also calculated by SES and spatial autocorrelation assessed by global and local indices. Results: There were 419 cases of thyroid cancer and 21 deaths in Barretos, contrasting with the highly-populated São Paulo, with 30,489 cases and 673 deaths. The overall incidence rates in São Paulo (15.9) were three times higher than Barretos (5.7), while incidence rates in women were close to five times higher in Barretos and four times higher in São Paulo than men. Mortality rates were, in relative terms, very low in both regions. A clear stepwise gradient of increasing thyroid cancer incidence with increasing SES was observed in São Paulo, with rates in very high SES districts four times those of low SES (31.6 vs 8.1). In contrast, the incidence rates in Barretos presented little variation across SES levels. Conclusion: Thyroid cancer incidence varied markedly by SES in São Paulo, with incidence rates rising with increasing socioeconomic index. Overdiagnosis is likely to account for a large proportion of thyroid cancer burden in the capital.


Geographic variations in cancer incidence and mortality in the State of São Paulo, Brazil 2001-17

June 2023

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17 Reads

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6 Citations

Background: Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Brazil and the burden is rising. To better inform tailored cancer actions, we compare incidence and mortality profiles according to small areas in the capital and northeast region of the State of São Paulo for the leading cancer types. Methods: New cancer cases were obtained from cancer registries covering the department of Barretos (2003-2017) and the municipality of São Paulo (2001-2015). Cancer deaths for the same period were obtained from a Brazilian public government database. Age-standardized rates per 100,000 persons-years by cancer and sex are presented as thematic maps, by municipality for Barretos region, and by district for São Paulo. Results: Prostate and breast cancer were the leading forms of cancer incidence in Barretos, with lung cancer leading in terms of cancer mortality in both regions. The highest incidence and mortality rates were seen in municipalities from the northeast of Barretos region in both sexes, while elevated incidence rates were mainly found in São Paulo districts with high and very high socioeconomic status (SES), with mortality rates more dispersed. Breast cancer incidence rates in São Paulo were 30 % higher than Barretos, notably in high and very high SES districts, while corresponding rates of cervical cancer conveyed the opposite profile, with elevated rates in low and medium SES districts. Conclusions: There is substantial diversity in the cancer profiles in the two regions, by cancer type and sex, with a clear relation between the cancer incidence and mortality patterns observed at the district level and corresponding SES in the capital.


Cancer inequalities in incidence and mortality in the State of São Paulo, Brazil 2001-17

June 2023

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53 Reads

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5 Citations

Background: Cancer disparities exist between and within countries; we sought to compare cancer-specific incidence and mortality according to area-level socioeconomic status (SES) in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: Cancer cases diagnosed 2003-2017 in the Barretos region and 2001-2015 in the municipality of São Paulo were obtained from the respective cancer registries. Corresponding cancer deaths were obtained from a Brazilian public government database. Age-standardized rates for all cancer combined and the six most common cancers were calculated by SES quartiles. Results: There were 14,628 cancer cases and 7513 cancer deaths in Barretos, and 472,712 corresponding cases and 194,705 deaths in São Paulo. A clear SES-cancer gradient was seen in São Paulo, with rates varying from 188.4 to 333.1 in low to high SES areas, respectively. There was a lesser social gradient for mortality, with rates in low to high SES areas ranging from 86.4 to 98.0 in Barretos, and from 99.2 to 100.1 in São Paulo. The magnitude of the incidence rates rose markedly with increasing SES in São Paulo city for colorectal, lung, female breast, and prostate cancer. Conversely, both cervical cancer incidence and mortality rose with lower levels of SES in both regions. Conclusions: A clear SES association was seen for cancers of the prostate, female breast, colorectum, and lung for São Paulo. This study offers a better understanding of the cancer incidence and mortality profile according to SES within a highly populated Brazilian state.


Age‐standardized incidence rate (per 100 000 person‐years, World) for all ages combined (15‐99 years) by histological subtype among women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) between 1995 and 2014. ¹Australia includes New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia; Canada includes Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan; and the United Kingdom includes England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. ²Other carcinoma includes “other” specified carcinoma and unspecified carcinoma.
Age‐standardized 5‐year net survival (%) by histological subtype among women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer for all ages combined (15‐99 years) by study period. ¹Australia includes New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia; Canada includes Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan; and the United Kingdom includes England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. ²Other carcinoma includes “other” specified carcinoma and unspecified carcinoma.
Shifting incidence and survival of epithelial ovarian cancer (1995‐2014): A SurvMark‐2 study

January 2023

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48 Reads

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9 Citations

The aim of the study is to provide a comprehensive assessment of incidence and survival trends of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) by histological subtype across seven high income countries (Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom). Data on invasive EOC diagnosed in women aged 15 to 99 years during 1995 to 2014 were obtained from 20 cancer registries. Age standardized incidence rates and average annual percentage change were calculated by subtype for all ages and age groups (15‐64 and 65‐99 years). Net survival (NS) was estimated by subtype, age group and 5‐year period using Pohar‐Perme estimator. Our findings showed marked increase in serous carcinoma incidence was observed between 1995 and 2014 among women aged 65 to 99 years with average annual increase ranging between 2.2% and 5.8%. We documented a marked decrease in the incidence of adenocarcinoma “not otherwise specified” with estimates ranging between 4.4% and 7.4% in women aged 15 to 64 years and between 2.0% and 3.7% among the older age group. Improved survival, combining all EOC subtypes, was observed for all ages combined over the 20‐year study period in all countries with 5‐year NS absolute percent change ranging between 5.0 in Canada and 12.6 in Denmark. Several factors such as changes in guidelines and advancement in diagnostic tools may potentially influence the observed shift in histological subtypes and temporal trends. Progress in clinical management and treatment over the past decades potentially plays a role in the observed improvements in EOC survival.


Citations (79)


... The number of new cases of brain and CNS (ICD-10 C70-72) was extracted from the GLOBOCAN 2022 program for 185 countries or territories, by sex and 18 age groups (0-4, 5-9,…, 80-84, 85 and over) [14][15][16]. The 2022 population data was obtained from the United Nations (UN) Population Division [17]. ...

Reference:

Cancers of the brain and central nervous system: global patterns and trends in incidence
The GLOBOCAN 2022 cancer estimates: Data sources, methods, and a snapshot of the cancer burden worldwide

... The American Cancer Society's 2023 report highlights progress in early detection and treatment strategies, leading to declining mortality rates in some cancers, such as breast and colorectal cancer, particularly in high-income countries. However, these advancements are unevenly distributed, with significant disparities in low-and middle-income countries due to limited access to screening and treatment services (Bray et al., 2024;Klement, 2024;Wilkinson and Gathani, 2022b). The GLOBOCAN 2023 estimates underline a troubling rise in cases of lung, liver, and pancreatic cancers, which are often diagnosed at late stages and associated with poor prognoses (Jardim et al., 2023;Siegel et al., 2023). ...

Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries

... São as informações dos RCBP 13 , em conjunto com as informações da mortalidade (SIM/DATASUS) 34 , que possibilitam a elaboração das estimativas nacionais da incidência do câncer pelo INCA 5 e as estimativas da IARC e do Global Cancer Observatory (Globocan) 35 . ...

Global Cancer Observatory: Cancer Today
  • Citing Research
  • February 2024

... This scenario underscores the need for educational programs aimed at increasing patients' awareness of the availability of beneficial treatments and symptom recognition. 44,45 Ultimately, this impacts eligibility for curative-intent surgery and the consequent survivorship outcomes. 46 Alarmingly, Latin Americans are underrepresented in clinical trials for biliary malignancies, and genomic research predominantly involves individuals of European ancestry, necessitating more inclusive studies. ...

Ethnic disparities in cancer mortality in the capital and northeast of the State of São Paulo, Brazil 2001–17

Cancer Causes & Control

... As a result, PSA screening rates are estimated to be less than 10% among males aged 50 years or older, which may not be the same as the rates in other countries, where the epidemiology of PCa is thought to be different. The average age of detection is known to vary by around 10 years in 21 ; thus, the country's life expectancy should be considered when developing a diagnostic strategy for PCa. In addition, technical factors that may affect screening rates for PCa could not be investigated in this study given the large number of participating sites (39 nationwide) and the significant advances in the methodology of prostate biopsy over the 10-year study period. ...

Age at diagnosis for lung, colon, breast and prostate cancers: An international comparative study

... Nordic countries interpret the GDPR provisions more conservatively and strictly, and national laws have also made it harder for them to provide patient-level data for international studies. 15 These countries have recently tended to prefer a federated approach for access to such data. 16 In the United States, there were similar challenges with interpreting the privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). ...

Nordcan.R: a new tool for federated analysis and quality assurance of cancer registry data

... Cancer is the second and third leading cause of death in developed and developing countries, respectively [1]. The global death toll from cancer is reported to reach 9.6 million people per year, and it is estimated that more than 16 million new cancer cases emerge every year, with a predicted rate of 50% by 2040 [2][3][4]. Despite the success in treating some cancer cases, existing treatments are costly [5], quite inadequate to tackle different cancer types [6,7], and affect the quality of life and well-being of patients, with diverse lethal side effects. ...

Geographic variations in cancer incidence and mortality in the State of São Paulo, Brazil 2001-17
  • Citing Article
  • June 2023

... The cancer deaths were extracted for the 15-year period, RHD of Barretos (2003Barretos ( -2017 and São Paulo (2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015), from the Brazilian public government database entitled Information System on Mortality, which is part of the Informatics Department of the Unified Health System (DATASUS) [11]. The different time periods relate to consistency with previously published research using the most recent years of cancer registration in the two regions [12,13]. We considered all deaths based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD-10), excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) (C44). ...

Cancer inequalities in incidence and mortality in the State of São Paulo, Brazil 2001-17

... Nasopharyngeal cancer has a significant ethnic and geographic distribution. Because its early symptoms are not obvious and the mechanism of occurrence and development has not been clarified, early diagnosis is challenging and the statistical analysis of the net survival rate of nasopharyngeal cancer patients in 5 years is only 47% [40,41]. In general, the survival rate and prognosis of patients are poor. ...

Cancer survival in Africa, central and south America, and Asia (SURVCAN-3): a population-based benchmarking study in 32 countries

The Lancet Oncology

... To date, three studies have investigated the global patterns or trends in OC incidence, overall and by histological subtypes. [14][15][16] Coburn et al. evaluated trends in OC incidence overall (1973-1977 to 2003-2007) and by histological subtypes (1988-1992 to 2003-2007), utilizing the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5) database. 15 Hao and colleagues estimated the pattern and trend for OC incidence from 1973 to 2012, but described only the pattern of OC subtypes during 2008-2012 based on CI5 database. ...

Shifting incidence and survival of epithelial ovarian cancer (1995‐2014): A SurvMark‐2 study