Recently, approved by the National Health Commission, the National Cancer Center released the latest data based on tumor registration and follow-up monitoring on JNCC.2022The burden of malignant tumors in China, the results released this time are jointly calculated by the National Cancer Center and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), consistent with the Chinese data released by IARC in GLOBOCAN 2022 and published simultaneously. The quality and standardization of China's tumor registration data have further improved, gaining consistent recognition both domestically and internationally. The updated malignant tumor burden data can provide a more objective basis for cancer prevention and control and the implementation of national health strategies.

Table 1 Estimated incidence of malignant tumors in China in 2022

^*Female breast cancer;^#Using the Segi world standard population for age standardization

Figure 1 Number of cancer cases in China (10,000 people)

Figure 2 Top ten malignant tumor incidence rates and rankings for males and females in China

• The incidence rate of all cancers is relatively low in the 0-34 age group, significantly increasing from the 35-39 age group, peaking in the 80-84 age group.
• The incidence rate for males is lower than for females in the 25-54 age group, but higher in those over 60.

World standard mortality rate:96.47/100,000

Table 2  Estimated cancer mortality in China in 2022

Summary

• Cancer remains a major public health issue in China, with the cancer spectrum in China still reflecting a coexistence of cancer spectra from developed and developing countries.

•  

• The estimated new cases and deaths from malignant tumors in China in 2022 have increased compared to previous years. The increase in incidence is attributed to population aging and, with the enhancement of public awareness of cancer prevention and more convenient medical conditions, more residents are actively participating in cancer screenings and national early diagnosis and treatment programs, leading to more timely detection of cancer cases. The increase in deaths is more due to population aging.

•  

• Lung cancer is the leading cause of incidence and mortality from malignant tumors in China. The top five malignant tumors by incidence are lung cancer, colorectal cancer, thyroid cancer, liver cancer, and gastric cancer, while the top five by mortality are lung cancer, liver cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, and esophageal cancer.

•  

• From 2000 to 2018, the age-standardized mortality rate for all cancers decreased by an average of 1.3% per year, especially for esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, and liver cancer, which showed a significant downward trend in both age-standardized incidence and mortality rates. This reflects China's long-term commitment to comprehensive cancer prevention and control efforts, particularly the initial effects of gradually promoting upper gastrointestinal cancer screening since 2005.

•  

• In the future, efforts should continue to implement the specific requirements of the Healthy China Action and the Cancer Prevention and Control Action Plan, steadily advancing in key areas such as comprehensive prevention and control of risk factors, cancer screening, early diagnosis and treatment, and standardized treatment, striving to initially curb the rising trend of cancer burden by 2030.

•  

Currently, the incidence and mortality of malignant tumors in our country continue to rise, with annual medical expenses exceeding 220 billion due to malignant tumors. Analysis of urban and rural areas shows that the incidence rate in urban areas is slightly higher than in rural areas, while the mortality rate is slightly higher in rural areas than in urban areas. However, the differences in the incidence and mortality of malignant tumors between urban and rural areas are gradually decreasing, possibly due to the narrowing gap in risk factors for malignant tumors, such as smoking, chronic infections, dietary habits, and air pollution, leading to a closer incidence rate. The relative scarcity of medical resources in rural areas and the relatively weak awareness of cancer prevention have resulted in a still high mortality rate from malignant tumors in rural areas. Over the past decade, the survival rate for malignant tumors has shown a gradual upward trend. Currently, the five-year relative survival rate for malignant tumors in our country is about 40.5%. Compared to ten years ago, the overall survival rate for malignant tumors in our country has increased by about 10 percentage points. However, there is still a significant gap compared to developed countries. The main reason is the difference in cancer spectrum between our country and developed countries. In our country, there is a high incidence of digestive system tumors with poor prognosis, such as liver cancer, gastric cancer, and esophageal cancer, while in developed countries in Europe and America, tumors with better prognosis, such as thyroid cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer, are more prevalent. However, it must be noted that the five-year survival rates for tumors with better prognosis in China, such as breast cancer (82.0%), thyroid cancer (84.3%), and prostate cancer (66.4%), still have a gap compared to developed countries like the United States (90.9%, 98%, and 99.5%). The main reasons for this gap are the low number of early clinical cases, low early diagnosis rates, and non-standard clinical diagnosis and treatment of late-stage cases. Therefore, our country should work on expanding the coverage of screening and early diagnosis and treatment of related tumors, as well as standardizing and promoting the application of clinical diagnosis and treatment of tumors to reduce the mortality rate of malignant tumors in our country.

In summary, the burden of malignant tumors in our country is increasingly heavy, with significant urban-rural differences and uneven regional distribution, making the situation of cancer prevention and control severe; the cancer spectrum of developed and developing countries coexists, and the difficulty of prevention and treatment is enormous.

△ The above charts are compiled based on the data from the original article. Please cite the original article when referencing, format as seen at the top. For more information, please check the original article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667005424000061

According to the latest global cancer burden data released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization, China has become a veritable "cancer powerhouse."

In 2020, there were 4.57 million new cancer cases in China, including 2.48 million in men and 2.09 million in women. In 2020, there were 3 million cancer deaths in China, including 1.82 million in men and 1.18 million in women.

This is significantly higher than previously published data, so let's take a look at the specific data analysis for China:

Both top the list: China ranks first in the world for new cases and deaths.

In 2020, there were 19.29 million new cancer cases globally, of which 4.57 million were in China, accounting for 23.7% of the global total. As China is the most populous country in the world, the number of new cancer cases far exceeds that of other countries.

The top ten countries with the highest number of new cancer cases are: China 4.57 million, the United States 2.28 million, India 1.32 million, Japan 1.03 million, Germany 630,000, Brazil 590,000, Russia 590,000, France 470,000, the United Kingdom 460,000, and Italy 420,000.

New cancer cases by country in 2020.

In 2020, there were 9.96 million cancer deaths globally, of which 3 million were in China, accounting for 30% of the total cancer deaths, mainly due to the high number of cancer patients in China, leading to the highest number of cancer deaths in the world.

The top ten countries with the highest number of cancer deaths in 2020 are: China 3 million, India 850,000, the United States 610,000, Japan 420,000, Russia 310,000, Brazil 260,000, Germany 250,000, Indonesia 230,000, France 190,000, and the United Kingdom 180,000.

Cancer deaths by country in 2020.

Lung cancer's dominant position is unshakable, with the number of deaths far ahead.

In 2020, there were 4.57 million new cancer cases in China, with breast cancer ranking first in global incidence, but in China, it ranks fourth after lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and gastric cancer.

In 2020, the top ten types of new cancer cases in China were: lung cancer 820,000, colorectal cancer 560,000, gastric cancer 480,000, breast cancer 420,000, liver cancer 410,000, esophageal cancer 320,000, thyroid cancer 220,000, pancreatic cancer 120,000, prostate cancer 120,000, and cervical cancer 110,000. These ten types of cancer accounted for 78% of new cancer cases.

Top ten types of new cancer cases in China in 2020.

In 2020, there were 3 million cancer deaths in China, with lung cancer deaths far ahead, reaching 710,000, accounting for 23.8% of the total cancer deaths.

In 2020, the top ten types of cancer deaths in China were: lung cancer 710,000, liver cancer 390,000, gastric cancer 370,000, esophageal cancer 300,000, colorectal cancer 290,000, pancreatic cancer 120,000, breast cancer 120,000, nervous system cancers 70,000, leukemia 60,000, and cervical cancer 60,000. These ten types of cancer accounted for 83% of total cancer deaths.

Top ten types of cancer deaths in China in 2020.

Data for Chinese men: Lung cancer, gastric cancer, and liver cancer remain dominant.

In 2020, there were 2.48 million new cancer cases among men in China, accounting for 54% of the total, with lung cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, and liver cancer having the highest incidence.

In 2020, the top ten types of new cancer cases among men in China were: lung cancer 540,000, gastric cancer 330,000, colorectal cancer 320,000, liver cancer 300,000, esophageal cancer 220,000, prostate cancer 120,000, pancreatic cancer 70,000, bladder cancer 70,000, thyroid cancer 50,000, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma 50,000. These ten types of cancer accounted for 84% of new cancer cases among men.

Top ten types of new cancer cases among men in China in 2020.

In 2020, there were 1.82 million cancer deaths among men in China, accounting for 61% of the total, with lung cancer, liver cancer, gastric cancer, and esophageal cancer having the highest mortality.

In 2020, the top ten types of cancer deaths among men in China were: lung cancer 470,000, liver cancer 290,000, gastric cancer 260,000, esophageal cancer 210,000, colorectal cancer 160,000, pancreatic cancer 70,000, prostate cancer 50,000, leukemia 40,000, nervous system cancers 30,000, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma 30,000. These ten types of cancer accounted for 88% of total cancer deaths.

Top ten types of cancer deaths among men in China in 2020.

Chinese women: New cases of breast cancer surpass lung cancer, ranking first

In 2020, the number of new cancer cases among Chinese women was 2.09 million, accounting for 46% of the total, with the highest incidence of breast cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer.

The top ten new cancer cases among Chinese women in 2020 were: breast cancer 420,000, lung cancer 280,000, colorectal cancer 240,000, thyroid cancer 170,000, stomach cancer 150,000, cervical cancer 110,000, liver cancer 110,000, esophageal cancer 100,000, endometrial cancer 80,000, and ovarian cancer 60,000. These ten types of cancer accounted for 81% of new cancer cases among women.

Top ten types of new cancer cases among Chinese women in 2020

In 2020, the number of cancer deaths among Chinese women was 1.18 million, accounting for 39% of the total, with the highest number of deaths from lung cancer, colorectal cancer, stomach cancer, and breast cancer.

The top ten cancer types for deaths among Chinese women in 2020 were: lung cancer 240,000, colorectal cancer 120,000, stomach cancer 120,000, breast cancer 120,000, liver cancer 100,000, esophageal cancer 90,000, cervical cancer 60,000, pancreatic cancer 50,000, ovarian cancer 40,000, and nervous system cancers 30,000. These ten types of cancer accounted for 83% of total cancer deaths.

Top ten types of cancer deaths among Chinese women in 2020

Globally, due to the intensification of population aging, it is expected that by 2040, the cancer burden will increase by 50% compared to 2020, with nearly 30 million new cancer cases expected. This is most significant in countries undergoing social and economic transformation.

For China, incorporating cancer prevention and treatment interventions into health programs will help reduce the future cancer burden while promoting the development of innovative anti-cancer drugs. A dual approach of "prevention + treatment" is necessary to better reduce the cancer burden and safeguard public health.