Global Incidence and Prevalence of Solid Tumors

Worldwide cancer incidence and prevalence patterns vary significantly by cancer type, geographical region, and demographic factors. The available data shows substantial variations across different populations and tumor types.

In the United States, a total of 1,372,910 new cancer cases and 570,280 deaths were expected in 2005. Cancer has surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death for persons younger than 85 since 1999. While cancer incidence rates stabilized in men from 1995 through 2001, they continued to increase by 0.3% per year from 1987 through 2001 in women.

When examining global patterns, a study of Indians residing in different geographic regions revealed the lowest total cancer incidence rates in India (111 and 116 per 100,000 among males and females, respectively) and the highest among US whites (362 and 296). Cancer incidence rates among Indians residing outside of India were intermediate: Singapore (102 and 132), UK (173 and 179) and US ranges 152-176 and 142-164.

Racial and ethnic disparities are evident in cancer statistics. African American men and women have 40% and 20% higher death rates from all cancers combined than White men and women, respectively. Other racial and ethnic groups generally have lower rates for all sites combined but higher rates for stomach, liver, and cervical cancers than Whites. Additionally, minority populations are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage disease.

For specific cancer types, esophageal cancer shows distinct patterns by histological type. The incidence of adenocarcinoma in White males has been rising (7.8%/year), with similar trends observed in White females, Hispanic males, and Hispanic females. Conversely, the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma has been steadily declining in White males and females and in Black females since 1973.

In Brandenburg (Germany), between 2000-2018, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma remained dominant but with a significant increase in adenocarcinoma in both sexes. The rate of new esophageal cancer cases was 5 times higher for men than for women.

For colorectal cancer, molecular differences in tumor mutation frequencies and gene expression may underlie observed differences by race and ethnicity. Increased African ancestry was associated with higher odds of somatic mutations in APC, KRAS, and PIK3CA and lower odds of BRAF mutations.

In Latvia, prostate cancer showed increasing standardized incidence rates from 18.9 per 100,000 in 1990 to 74.7 in 2012. Standardized prevalence rates increased from 69.9 per 100,000 in 1990 to 437.6 in 2012, while mortality rates rose from 13.2 per 100,000 in 1990 to 27.2 in 2006 followed by a statistically insignificant decrease continuing up to 2012.