Recent Patterns in Global Incidence and Mortality for Bladder Cancer

Incidence and mortality rates of bladder cancer have fluctuated over time in a region-specific manner. A solid understanding of these patterns is crucial for health policy planning and appropriate allocation of resources. To this end, Zhang et al. assimilated data on recent global patterns of bladder cancer.

The researchers collected metrics from the GLOBOCAN 2020 database for 185 countries. In 2020, approximately 573,000 people were diagnosed with bladder cancer, and 213,000 died worldwide. Mortality and incidence rates were consistently higher in men than women. There was a high degree of variation in incidence and mortality across world regions. The number of cases and deaths from bladder cancer was highest in Eastern Asia, followed by North America and Western Europe. Importantly, patterns varied within world regions and across low- or high-risk countries. However, most new cases (90.9%) and deaths (86.6%) occurred in countries with high or very high development index (HDI).

The number of new bladder cancer cases worldwide is expected to increase by 72.8% in 2040, and an annual decline of 3.0% in incidence would be required to allow for fewer cases in 2040 than in 2020. The mortality rate is expected to increase by 86.6%, and an annual decrease of 4.0% in mortality would be required to reach fewer deaths in 2040 than in 2020. The most significant relative increase in cases and deaths is predicted to occur in the Western Pacific region and very high HDI countries.

The investigators postulated that the geographic variation in incidence and mortality rates for bladder cancer could be attributed to environmental risk factors. These include tobacco smoking, carcinogen exposure, and infection with Schistosoma haematobium. Moreover, high HDI countries have a higher proportion of elderly individuals, and age is a significant risk factor for bladder cancer. Individuals in these countries also tend to have more heightened awareness and accessibility to diagnostic procedures. It is important to note that the researchers did not directly investigate these risk factors, representing a limitation of the current study. A better understanding of these associations can allow for developing more effective strategic plans for prevention in different regions.

Written by: Bishoy M. Faltas, MD, Director of Bladder Cancer Research, Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine

References:

Zhang Y, Rumgay H, Li M, et al. The global landscape of bladder cancer incidence and mortality in 2020 and projections to 2040. J Glob Health. 2023;13:04109.

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