Current cancer situation in China: good or bad news from the 2018 Global Cancer Statistics?

Abstract

Cancer is the leading cause of death in China and depicting the cancer pattern of China would provide basic knowhows on how to tackle it more effectively. In this study we have reviewed several reports of cancer burden, including the Global cancer statistics 2018 and Cancer statistics in China, 2015, along with the GLOBCAN 2018 online database, to investigate the differences of cancer patterns between China, the United States (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK). An estimated 4.3 million new cancer cases and 2.9 million new cancer deaths occurred in China in 2018. Compared to the USA and UK, China has lower cancer incidence but a 30% and 40% higher cancer mortality than the UK and USA, among which 36.4% of the cancer-related deaths were from the digestive tract cancers (stomach, liver, and esophagus cancer) and have relatively poorer prognoses. In comparison, the digestive cancer deaths only took up ≤ 5% of the total cancer deaths in either USA or UK. Other reasons for the higher mortality in China may be the low rate of early-stage cancers at diagnosis and non-uniformed clinical cancer treatment strategies performed by different regions. China is undergoing the cancer transition stage where the cancer spectrum is changing from developing country to developed country, with a rapidly increase cancer burden of colorectal, prostate, female breast cancers in addition to a high occurrence of infection-related and digestive cancers. The incidence of westernized lifestyle-related cancers in China (i.e. colorectal cancer, prostate, bladder cancer) has risen but the incidence of the digestive cancers has decreased from 2000 to 2011. An estimated 40% of the risk factors can be attributed to environmental and lifestyle factors either in China or other developed countries. Tobacco smoking is the single most important carcinogenic risk factor in China, contributing to ~ 24.5% of cancers in males. Chronic infection is another important preventable cancer contributor which is responsible for ~ 17% of cancers. Comprehensive prevention and control strategies in China should include effective tobacco-control policy, recommendations for healthier lifestyles, along with enlarging the coverage of effective screening, educating, and vaccination programs to better sensitize greater awareness control to the general public.

The Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Threat for Patients With Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer

“…The current COVID-19 pandemic is particularly concerning, given the potential of spread from asymptomatic carriers (1-3). A report from China suggests that among those confirmed infected with SARS-CoV-2, approximately 1% of patients had cancer (3): 5-fold higher than the general incidence of cancer in China (201.7/100,000 persons) (7).…”

Nomogram for predicting overall survival in stage II‐III colorectal cancer

“…Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies, with high incidence and mortality rates, and ranks as the third most frequent cancer and the second leading cause of cancer‐related deaths worldwide . In China, CRC is the fifth most common cause of cancer‐related deaths (8.6%) . For patients with stage II‐III CRC, the standard, potentially curative treatment is radical resection and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy .…”

“…1 In China, CRC is the fifth most common cause of cancer-related deaths (8.6%). 2 For patients with stage II-III CRC, the standard, potentially curative treatment is radical resection and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. 3,4 Despite recent advances in chemotherapy, its clinical effect is not ideal, as indicated by local recurrence and distant metastasis rates.…”

Correlation between MDM2 T309G single nucleotide polymorphism and esophageal cancer susceptibility: An updated meta‐analysis

“…According to the latest statistical data of GLOBOCAN in 2018, there were approximately 570 000 new cases of esophageal cancer and 500 000 deaths, ranking the eighth incidence and seventh of all the malignant carcinomas. In year 2018, there were approximately 307 000 new cases of esophageal cancer and 283 000 deaths in China, ranking fifth in the incidence of malignant tumors and fourth in the mortality rate . As is already known, the development of esophageal cancer is the result of the interaction of genes and environmental factors, but the specific pathogenesis of both have not as yet been fully elucidated, and need further exploration .…”

“…In year 2018, there were approximately 307 000 new cases of esophageal cancer and 283 000 deaths in China, ranking fifth in the incidence of malignant tumors and fourth in the mortality rate. 2 As is already known, the development of esophageal cancer is the result of the interaction of genes and environmental factors, but the specific pathogenesis of both have not as yet been fully elucidated, and need further exploration. 3 In recent years, studies have confirmed that gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was closely correlated with the cancer susceptibility.…”