Global trends in adolescent and young adult female cancer burden, 1990-2021 - Original Research - Key findings and implications

Sep 21, 2026

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Global trends in adolescent and young adult female cancer burden from 1990 to 2021 are analyzed using epidemiological data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 study. The study quantifies burden for female cancers including breast, ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancer across 21 GBD regions, 195 countries, and five SDI regions. Results show 383,241 new cases and 81,679 deaths globally in 2021, alongside 2,975,183 prevalent cases and 4,855,780 disability-adjusted life years, with marked regional SDI disparities. Over three decades, incidence and prevalence increased while mortality and disability declined, and breast cancer remained the most prevalent malignancy among AYA women.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Materials and methods

Results

Global 2021 burden and regional disparities

Time trends (1990-2021)

Conclusions

Key words

Introduction

ORIGINAL RESEARCH Global trends in adolescent and young adult female cancer burden, 1990-2021: insights from the Global Burden of Disease study Z. Huang1y, J. Wang1y, H. Liu2y, B. Wang1, M. Qi1, Z. Lyu2 􀀂 & H. Liu1 􀀂 1The Second Surgical Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin; 2Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cancer Epidemiology, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Human Major Diseases, Ministry of Education, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China Available online xxx Background: The impact of breast carcinoma and genital tract malignancy on the physical and mental health, especially reproductive function, of women aged 15-39 years in the adolescent and young adult (AYA) group is signiﬁcant. This research aims to analyze the burden of AYA female cancer in various regions and countries globally from 1990 to 2021 . Materials and methods: Epidemiological data were sourced from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study 2021 . The study analyzed data on female cancers (breast, ovarian, uterine, and cervical) to assess disease burden across different ages, years, and locations, encompassing 21 GBD regions, 195 countries, and ﬁve sociodemographic index (SDI) regions. Results: In 2021, AYA female cancer saw 383 241 new cases and 81 679 deaths globally, with 2 975 183 prevalent cases and 4 855 780 disability-adjusted life years. In 2021, Central Latin America recorded the highest age-standardized incidence (ASIR) and prevalence rates (ASPR), whereas South sub-Saharan Africa had the highest age-standardized mortality (ASMR) and disability rates (ASDR) . Nations with high SDI typically exhibited elevated ASIR and ASPR, whereas ASMR and ASDR demonstrated inverse patterns. Over the past three decades, ASIR and ASPR of female cancers among AYA women have increased globally. In contrast, the ASMR and ASDR have demonstrated a declining trend. Notably, breast cancer emerged as the most prevalent malignancy among AYA women. Conclusions: Over the past three decades, the ASIR and ASPR of AYA female cancers have consistently increased, signiﬁcantly burdening this demographic. Additionally, pronounced disparities are evident across different regions and countries, with AYA women in low SDI environments experiencing poorer prognoses compared to their counterparts in high SDI environments. Consequently, it is imperative to enhance interregional collaboration and communication to optimize the overall prognosis of AYA female cancers. Key words: adolescents and young adults, female cancer, global disease burden, sociodemographic index, average annual percent change INTRODUCTION Adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer is generally deﬁned as cancer diagnosed between ages 15 and 39 years.1 Among all cancer, approximately 500 000 cases belong to this speciﬁc group.2 Compared to older cancer patients, AYAs are more likely to possess genetic *Correspondence to: Prof. Hong Liu, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China. Tel: þ86 18622221169 E-mail: [liuhong_submit@tjmuch.com](liuhong_submit@tjmuch.com) (H. Liu). Dr Zhangyan Lyu, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China. Tel: þ86 17710663549 E-mail: [lyuzhangyan@tmu.edu.cn](lyuzhangyan@tmu.edu.cn) (Z. Lyu). yThese authors contributed equally to this work and shared the ﬁrst authorship. 2059-7029/© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of European Society for Medical Oncology. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ([http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)). predispositi

FAQs

What age range defines adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer in the study?

AYA cancer is defined as cancer diagnosed between ages 15 and 39 years.

Which female cancers are included in the burden analysis?

The analysis covers breast, ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancers among females.

What major global trend is reported for incidence and mortality from 1990 to 2021?

Age-standardized incidence and prevalence increased over the past three decades, while age-standardized mortality and disability-adjusted rates declined.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Skyler