Global burden of cancer and associated risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1980–2021: a systematic analysis for the GBD 2021

Sep 21, 2026

Cancer is the second most common cause of death worldwide, making it essential to quantify incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) to strengthen prevention and guide healthcare resource allocation. This systematic analysis evaluates cancer burden and related risk factors across 204 countries and territories for 1980–2021. Using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data, it estimates age-standardized incidence and deaths for 34 cancer types and identifies major gender and regional differences.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

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Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Wu et al. Journal of Hematology & Oncology (2024) 17:119 [https://doi.org/10.1186/s13045-024-01640-8](https://doi.org/10.1186/s13045-024-01640-8) Journal of Hematology & Oncology RESEARCH Open Access Global burden of cancer and associated risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1980– 2021: a systematic analysis for the GBD 2021 ZenghongWu1*, Fangnan Xia2 and Rong Lin 1* Abstract Background Cancer is the second most common cause of death globally. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate cancer incidence, mortality rates, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) to enhance preventive measures and healthcare resource allocation. This study aimed to assess cancer burden and associated risk factors in 204 countries and territories between 1980 and 2021. Methods We selected data on cancer incidence and mortality rates and associated risk factors from the global burden of disease (GBD) study tool for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021 and 1980 to 2021. We estimated the agestandardized incidence (ASIR) and age-standardized deaths (ASDR) of 34 cancer types categorized as level 3 causes based on the GBD hierarchy. Results In 2021, cancer accounted for 14.57%(95% uncertainty interval: 13.65–15.28) of total deaths and 8.8%(7.99–9.67) of total DALYs in both sexes globally. ASIR and ASDR were 790.33 (694.43–893.01) and 116.49 (107.28–124.69), respectively. Additionally, females exhibited higher ASIR than males (923.44 versus 673.09), while males exhibited higher ASDR than females (145.69 versus 93.60). This indicates that policymakers should focus on the importance of gender equality in healthcare. Non-melanoma skin cancer exhibited the highest ASIR (74. 10) in both sexes, while digestive cancers accounted for 39.29% of all cancer-related deaths, and Asia exhibited the heaviest cancer burden. In females, breast cancer exhibited the highest ASIR (46.40) and ASDR (14.55). In males, tracheal, bronchial, and lung cancer exhibited the highest ASIR (37.85) and ASDR (34.32), highlighting the urgent need for targeted tobacco control measures. Different cancers in various countries exhibit unique characteristics. Therefore, policymakers should formulate specific prevention and control strategies that reflect the cancer in their country. Tobacco was the primary level 2 risk factor for cancer DALYs in males. It accounted for 29.32%(25.32–33.14) of all cancer DALYs. Dietary risks, alcohol consumption, and air pollution accounted for 5.89%(2.01–10.73), 5.48%(4.83–6. 11), and 4.30%(2.77–5.95) of male cancer DALYs, respectively. Therefore, policymakers should prioritize smoking regulation and other carcinogenic risks. Conclusion Cancer is a significant public health concern globally. Understanding the common etiologies of different cancers is essential for developing effective control strategies and targeted interventions. Keywords Cancer, Global, GBD, Incidence, Mortality *Correspondence: ZenghongWu [xhfive@hust.edu.cn](xhfive@hust.edu.cn)[ ](xhfive@hust.edu.cn)Rong Lin [linrong@hust.edu.cn](linrong@hust.edu.cn) Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s) 2024. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by s

FAQs

What was the main purpose of the study?

To assess cancer burden and associated risk factors across 204 countries and territories from 1980 to 2021, supporting prevention and healthcare resource allocation.

How were incidence and mortality estimates calculated?

The study selected cancer incidence and mortality data and associated risk factors from the GBD study tool, then estimated age-standardized incidence (ASIR) and age-standardized deaths (ASDR) for 34 cancer types.

Which risk factor was most prominent for male cancer DALYs?

Tobacco was the primary level 2 risk factor for male cancer DALYs, accounting for 29.32% of all male cancer DALYs.

Sep 21, 2026

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