National Burden and Trend of Cancer in Ethiopia, 2010-2019: a systemic analysis for Global burden of disease study.

in Scientific reports by Atalel Fentahun Awedew, Zelalem Asefa, Woldemariam Beka Belay

TLDR

  • The study found that cancer incidence, death, and DALYs increased in Ethiopia between 2010 to 2019, with tobacco-related cancers increasing in females and infection-related cancers declining in males.

Abstract

Over the last two decades, we have tracked the national burden of cancer and its trends in Ethiopia, providing estimates of incidence, death, and disability adjusted life years. In Ethiopia, there were an estimated 53,560 (95% UI 52,480-55,540) new incident cases, 39,480 deaths (95% UI 32,640-46,440), and 1.42 million (95% UI 1.16-1.68) DALYs of cancer 2019. Cancer incidence, death, and DALYs counts increased by 32% (95% UI 11-55%), 29% (95% UI 12-44%), and 19% (95% UI - 2 to 44%) between 2010 to 2019, respectively, while age-standardised incidence, death, and DALYs rates increased by 5% (95% UI - 7 to 18%), 2% (95% UI - 9 to 14%), and - 2% (95% UI - 15 to 12%) respectively. In 2019, the leading incidence cases were leukemia, cervical cancer, breast cancer, colon and rectum cancer, and stomach cancer, while leukemia, breast cancer, cervical cancer, and stomach cancer were the most common killer cancers in Ethiopia. According to the findings of this study, tobacco-related cancers such as pancreatic, kidney, and lung cancer have increased in Ethiopian females over the last decade, while genitourinary cancer has increased in Ethiopian males. Another significant finding was that infection-related cancers, such as stomach cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma, have been rapidly declining over the last decade.

Overview

  • The study tracked the national burden of cancer in Ethiopia from 2010 to 2019, providing estimates of incidence, death, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).
  • The study found that cancer incidence, death, and DALYs increased between 2010 to 2019, while age-standardised rates remained relatively stable.
  • The study aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of cancer trends in Ethiopia and identify factors contributing to these trends.

Comparative Analysis & Findings

  • The leading incidence cases in 2019 were leukemia, cervical cancer, breast cancer, colon and rectum cancer, and stomach cancer, while leukemia, breast cancer, cervical cancer, and stomach cancer were the most common killer cancers.
  • Tobacco-related cancers, such as pancreatic, kidney, and lung cancer, increased in Ethiopian females over the last decade, while genitourinary cancer increased in Ethiopian males.
  • Infection-related cancers, such as stomach cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma, rapidly declined over the last decade.

Implications and Future Directions

  • The findings highlight the need for targeted prevention and treatment strategies to address the increasing burden of tobacco-related cancers in Ethiopian females.
  • Future studies should investigate the factors contributing to the decline of infection-related cancers and identify effective prevention measures.
  • The study emphasizes the importance of timely and accurate data collection to inform cancer control efforts in Ethiopia.
Read Full Article