Rising Temperatures Linked to Increased Cancer Mortality Among Women in Middle East and North Africa

Researchers have discovered a small but significant increase in cancer mortality among women in 17 Middle Eastern and North African countries over the last two decades, with breast, ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancer cases and deaths rising with rising temperatures. The study, published in Frontiers in Public Health, found that for every degree Celsius increase, cases of cancer increased by 173 to 280 per 100,000 people, and deaths rose by 171 to 332 per 100,000. The authors emphasize the need to integrate climate change adaptation strategies into national cancer control plans with a gender-sensitive lens, highlighting the disproportionate exposure of women in the region to environmental carcinogens.

Key Takeaways:

• A study published in Frontiers in Public Health found a significant increase in cancer mortality among women in 17 Middle Eastern and North African countries between 1998 and 2019.
• The study found that for every degree Celsius increase, cases of cancer increased by 173 to 280 per 100,000 people, and deaths rose by 171 to 332 per 100,000.
• Ovarian cancer showed the most significant increase in cases and deaths, with a correlation not only between temperature increases and cancer prevalence but also in several individual countries.
• The study suggests that rising temperatures may act through multiple pathways, including increasing exposure to known carcinogens, disrupting healthcare delivery, and influencing biological processes at the cellular level.
• The authors acknowledge the limitations of the study, including the difficulty in accessing accurate data in some countries and differences in screening availability.
• The study highlights the need to integrate climate change adaptation strategies into national cancer control plans with a gender-sensitive lens, particularly in regions where women face cultural, legal, and economic barriers to screening and treatment.

Statistics:

• Cases of cancer increased by 173 to 280 per 100,000 people for every degree Celsius increase between 1998 and 2019.
• Deaths from cancer rose by 171 to 332 per 100,000 for every degree Celsius increase between 1998 and 2019.
• Ovarian cancer showed the most significant increase in cases and deaths, with a correlation not only between temperature increases and cancer prevalence but also in several individual countries.
• The study examined 17 countries in the Middle East and North Africa, including Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, and Egypt.

Sources:

• Frontiers in Public Health
• University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Center
• American University in Cairo
• University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
• Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)