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Cancer research

Lung Cancer Burden in China Continues to Rise

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

In a study published in the Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, researchers from Shandong University have highlighted the increasing burden of lung cancer in China. From 1990 to 2019, the estimated number of lung cancer incident cases increased by 224%, deaths by 195.4%, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) by 146.1%. The study used the Global Burden of Disease Study (2019) to extract incidence, mortality, and DALYs data for China.

Key Takeaways:

  • The estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) was used to quantify the trends of lung cancer burden, which showed an upward trend from 1990 to 2019.
  • The age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR), age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR), and age-standardized disability-adjusted life-years rate (ASDR) all increased during the same period.
  • Smoking remained responsible for the highest burden of lung cancer in China, but the contribution of ambient particulate matter pollution to DALYs increased from 10.6% in 1990 to 22.5% in 2019.
  • The study projected that the number of deaths from lung cancer will increase by 42.7% in China by 2030.
  • The burden of lung cancer has been increasing over the past three decades, highlighting the need for more targeted intervention measures.
  • The research was funded by the National Key Research & Development Program of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, and Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province.

Statistics:

  • Estimated number of lung cancer incident cases increased by 224% from 1990 to 2019 (832,920).
  • Deaths from lung cancer increased by 195.4% from 1990 to 2019 (757,170).
  • Disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) increased by 146.1% from 1990 to 2019 (17,128,580).
  • Age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) increased from 1990 to 2019 (EAPC = 1.33).
  • Age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) increased from 1990 to 2019 (EAPC = 0.94).
  • Age-standardized disability-adjusted life-years rate (ASDR) increased from 1990 to 2019 (EAPC = 0.42).
  • Smoking remained responsible for 75.4% of lung cancer cases in China from 1990 to 2019.
  • Ambient particulate matter pollution contributed 22.5% of DALYs from lung cancer in China in 2019.

Sources:

  • Burden of Lung Cancer Along With Attributable Risk Factors In China From 1990 To 2019, and Projections Until 2030. Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, 2023;149(7):3209-3218.
  • Shandong University, Cheeloo Coll Med, School of Public Health, Dept. of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Jinan, People's Republic of China.

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