Cancer mortality predictions for 2023 in Latin America with focus on stomach cancer

Abstract

Objective We estimated cancer mortality statistics for the current year in seven major Latin American countries. MethodsWe retrieved official death certification data and population figures from the WHO and the United Nations databases for the 1970-2020 calendar period. We considered mortality from all neoplasms combined and for 10 major cancer sites. We estimated the number of deaths and age-standardized mortality rates for the year 2023. ResultsAge-standardized mortality rates for all cancers combined are predicted to decline in all countries, in both sexes, apart from Venezuelan women. The lowest predicted total cancer mortality rates are in Mexico, 69.8/100 000 men and 62.5/100 000 women. The highest rates are in Cuba with 133.4/100 000 men and 90.2/100 000 women. Stomach cancer is predicted to decline steadily in all countries considered, but remains the first-ranking site for men in Chile (14.3/100 000) and Colombia (11/100 000). Colorectal cancer rates also tended to decline but remain comparatively high in Argentina (14/100 000 men). Breast cancer rates were high in Argentinian women (16.5/100 000) though they tended to decline in all countries. Lung cancer mortality rates are also predicted to decline, however, rates remain exceedingly high in Cuba (30.5/100 000 men and 17.2/100 000 women) as opposed to Mexico (5.6/100 000 men and 3.2/10 000 women). Declines are also projected for cancer of the uterus, but rates remain high, particularly in Argentina and Cuba (10/100 000 women), and Venezuela (13/100 000 women) due to inadequate screening and cervical cancer control.

Cancer mortality patterns in selected Northern and Southern African countries

“…Over the last decades, we published cancer mortality assessments for selected European, Latin American and Australasian countries based on the WHO database ( Santucci et al ., 2023 ; Malvezzi et al ., 2023 ; Pizzato et al ., 2022 ), while we have not provided corresponding figures for the African continent. Despite some inherent uncertainties in the African estimates, the calculation of mortality rates, along with their trends, is useful for risk factors monitoring and health planning.…”