Temporal Trends in Cancer Burden and 27 Subtypes Among Women of Childbearing Age Globally from 1990 to 2021.
AI interpretation is pending for this paper.
Open original publication →What the AI sees
Not AI summarized yet.
Research significance
Pending deeper interpretation.
Source abstract
BACKGROUND: Cancer among women of childbearing age (WCBA, 15-49 years) has distinct clinical and public health implications. Using modeled estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021, we assessed temporal and spatial patterns of total cancer and 27 cancer subtypes among WCBA from 1990 to 2021. METHODS: We extracted incidence and mortality estimates for WCBA globally, across five socio-demographic index (SDI) regions, 21 GBD regions, and 204 countries and territories. Age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) and age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) were calculated. Temporal trends were evaluated using average annual percentage changes (AAPCs). Decomposition analysis quantified the contributions of population growth, age-structure change, and epidemiological change, while cross-country inequalities were assessed using the slope index of inequality and concentration index. RESULTS: Globally, incident cancer cases among WCBA increased from 1,047,101 in 1990 to 1,904,657 in 2021, while deaths increased from 398,342 to 508,564. The global ASIR increased slightly (AAPC 0.16%, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.24), whereas the ASMR declined substantially (AAPC -0.97%, 95% CI -1.05 to -0.90). Population growth and age-structure change were the main drivers of increasing absolute burden, while epidemiological changes partly offset mortality increases. High-income North America had the highest ASIR, whereas Southern Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest ASMR. Higher ASIRs were concentrated in high-SDI countries, while higher ASMRs were concentrated in low-SDI countries. Breast, cervical, and non-melanoma skin cancers were the leading cancers by incidence, whereas breast, cervical, and lung cancers contributed most to mortality. CONCLUSION: The cancer burden among WCBA increased substantially from 1990 to 2021, largely driven by demographic changes. Persistent regional and socioeconomic inequalities highlight the need for HPV vaccination, cervical screening, breast cancer early detection, and equitable access to cancer diagnosis and treatment. These model-based estimates should be interpreted with consideration of cross-country variation in data quality.