Socioeconomic inequalities in cancer incidence and mortality: An analysis of GLOBOCAN 2022

Abstract Background: Given the recent updates in cancer burden estimates by GLOBOCAN 2022, this study was undertaken to provide pertinent perspectives within the context of the Human Development Index (HDI) and major world economies. Methods: Datasets sourced from GLOBOCAN encompassed cancer cases and deaths across all cancer types in 2022, alongside projections up to 2050. Cancer incidences and deaths of the top 10 cancers within China and four distinct HDI-classified regions were compared using descriptive analyses. Age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) and mortality rates (ASMRs) worldwide for the most prevalent cancers in 2022 across ten largest economies and four-tier HDIs were examined. The top five cancer types concerning both incidence and mortality in China were delineated by sex and age group. Results: In males, prostate cancer predominated in countries with low, high (except China), and very high HDI. Prostate and liver cancers were prominent causes of death in countries with low HDI. In females, breast and cervical cancers predominated in countries with low-to-medium HDI. Lung and colorectal cancer incidence and deaths increased with high HDI for both sexes. ASIRs and ASMRs for breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers in the top 10 economies were higher than the global average. However, liver, stomach, and cervical cancers in most Western countries exhibited lower rates. In China, hematologic malignancies (43%) were prevalent among children aged 0–14 years, whereas thyroid cancer led among adolescents and young adults aged 15–39 years. Regarding incidence and mortality, lung cancer predominated for individuals over 40 years, except for females aged 40–59 years, in whom breast cancer predominated. Projected trends indicated substantial increases in new cancer cases (76.6%) and deaths (89.7%) over the next three decades. Conclusions: Infection- and poverty-related cancer burdens are offset by increased prostate, breast, colorectal, and lung cancer incidence associated with rapid societal and economic transitions. Cancer incidence and mortality patterns in China feature characteristics of developed and developing countries, necessitating tailored, evidence-based, and comprehensive strategies for effective cancer prevention and control.