Global burden of common cancers attributable to metabolic risks from 1990 to 2019

• Published in: Med (New York, N.Y. : Online) Vol. 4; no. 3; pp. 168 - 181.e3
• Main Authors: Xing, Qing-Qing, Li, Jing-Mao, Chen, Zhi-Jian, Lin, Xiao-Yun, You, Yan-Ying, Hong, Mei-Zhu, Weng, Shangeng, Pan, Jin-Shui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 10.03.2023
• Subjects: diabetes mellitus; Disability-Adjusted Life Years; Global Burden of Disease; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Male; metabolic syndrome; neoplasms; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; obesity; Quality-Adjusted Life Years; metabolic syndrome; diabetes mellitus; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; neoplasms; Translation to population health; obesity
• ISSN: 2666-6340; 2666-6340
• DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2023.02.002

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is usually accompanied by metabolic syndrome, which is associated with increased risk of cancer. To inform a tailored cancer screen in patients at higher risks, we estimated the global burden of cancer attributable to metabolic risks. Data of common metabolism-related neoplasms (MRNs) were derived from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 database. Age-standardized, disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rates and death rates of patients with MRNs were extracted from the GBD 2019 database and stratified by metabolic risk, sex, age, and level of socio-demographic index (SDI). The annual percentage changes of age-standardized DALYs and death rates were calculated. Metabolic risks, consisting of high body mass index and fasting plasma glucose, contributed substantially to the burden of neoplasms, including colorectal cancer (CRC), tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer (TBLC), etc. Globally, in 2019, there was an estimated age-standardized DALY rate (ASDR) of 234 (95% confidence interval [CI] 124–376) per 100,000 person years for neoplasms attributable to metabolic risks. ASDRs of MRNs were higher for CRC, TBLC, men, patients aged ≥50 years, and patients with high or high-middle SDI. The findings of this study further underpin the correlation between NAFLD and intrahepatic and extrahepatic cancers and highlight the possibility of tailored cancer screening for the NAFLD population at higher risks. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province of China. [Display omitted] •We estimate the global burden of cancers attributed to metabolic risks•High BMI and high FPG are the major contributors to MRNs•ASDRs for MRNs have increased significantly in the regions with middle to low SDI•Our findings have the potential to perform tailored screening for common cancers Metabolic syndrome is usually associated with increased cancer risk. However, it remains challenging to perform more efficient cancer screening in higher-risk patients. Here, a team from China estimated the global burden of cancer attributable to metabolic risks using the Global Burden of Disease estimates (2019), with comparisons across cancer types, metabolic risks, and other demographic factors. They found that the burden of metabolism-related neoplasms was higher for colorectal cancer and tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer and in men, patients aged ≥50 years, and individuals with a high or high-middle socio-demographic index. These results further underpin the correlation between metabolic syndrome and intrahepatic and extrahepatic cancers, highlighting the possibility of tailored cancer screening for the population at higher risk. Xing et al. estimated the global burden of cancers attributed to metabolic risks, including high body mass index and high fasting plasma glucose. Burden of metabolism-related neoplasms have increased significantly during the past decades. The findings are helpful for performing tailored screening for common cancers based on personalized features.