Objective
To examine breast cancer burden in females using incidence, mortality and mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) and its association with human development.
Methods
We employ the data of breast ...cancer in females from the Global Burden of Disease 2016 study for the period 1990 to 2016 for 102 countries. Human development is measured using the human development index (HDI). 5-year survival rate of breast cancer is proxied using the mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR).
Findings
Globally, breast cancer has claimed 535341 female lives and 1.7 million incident cases had surfaced in 2016. High incidence rates were observed in very high HDI countries led by the Netherlands (117.2/100,000), whereas the mortality rate was high in low/medium HDI countries led by Afghanistan (35.4/100,000). Breast cancer incidence has more than doubled in 60/102 countries, whereas deaths have doubled in 43/102 countries. Globally, breast cancer MIR decreased from 0.41 to 0.32 over 1990–2016 and displayed negative gradient with HDI (
r
= − 0.87), indicating a low 5-year survival in less developed countries.
Conclusion
Heterogeneity in breast cancer burden, as per human development, and increasing breast cancer incidence and low survival rates, indicated by MIR, call for broader human development, improving breast cancer awareness, and cost-effective screening and treatment in less developed countries.
Aim
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. This study examines the current and future burden of lung cancer at global, regional, and national levels.
Methods
The estimates of ...lung cancer incident cases, deaths, and their age-standardized rates are drawn from GLOBOCAN 2020 for 21 regions and 185 countries. Mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) is considered as a proxy indicator of 5-year survival rates. Lung cancer burden in 2050 is projected using age-specific incidence and death rates in 2020.
Results
In 2020, there were 2.21 million new cases and 1.8 million deaths due to lung cancer worldwide with age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of 22.4/100,000 (male: 31.5; female: 14.6) and age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) of 18.0/100,000, (male: 25.9; female: 11.2/100,000). Global MIR of lung cancer was 0.82 (males 0.83; females: 0.79), varying from 0.59 (Japan) to 1.0 (Belize). Hungary had the highest age-standardized rates (ASIR: 50.1/100,000; ASMR: 42.4/100,000) and Nigeria (ASIR: 0.88; ASMR: 0.86) had the lowest age-standardized rates in 2020. Both ASIR and ASMR were positively correlated with country-level tobacco smoking prevalence and human development index (HDI), whereas MIR exhibited a negative correlation with HDI. As per our projections, there will be 3.8 million incident cases and 3.2 million deaths globally due to lung cancer in 2050.
Conclusion
With close to 2 million cases and deaths already in 2020, lung cancer has already become a global public health threat. Even with current risk levels and age-specific rates, lung cancer annual cases are expected to reach 3.8 million in 2050. Until smoking prevalence is reduced and ambient air pollution levels are checked, particularly in low/medium HDI countries, the lung cancer epidemic will continue unfolding.
This paper re-examines health-growth relationship using an unbalanced panel of 17 advanced economies for the period 1870-2013 and employs panel generalised method of moments estimator that takes care ...of endogeneity issues, which arise due to reverse causality. We utilise macroeconomic data corresponding to inflation, government expenditure, trade and schooling in sample countries that takes care of omitted variable bias in growth regression. With alternate model specifications, we show that population health proxied by life expectancy exert a positive and significant effect on both real income per capita as well as growth. Our results are in conformity with the existing empirical evidence on the relationship between health and economic growth, they, however, are more robust due to the presence of long-term data, appropriate econometric procedure and alternate model specifications. We also show a strong role of endogeneity in driving standard results in growth empirics. In addition to life expectancy, other constituent of human capital, education proxied by schooling is also positively associated with real per capita income. Policy implication that follows from this paper is that per capita income can be boosted through focussed policy attention on population health. The results, however, posit differing policy implications for advanced and developing economies.
This study aims to examine the burden of primary liver cancer in 185 countries in 2018.
The estimates of incidence, mortality and prevalence of primary liver cancer were procured from GLOBOCAN 2018. ...The development status of a country was measured using the human development index-a composite indicator of income per capita, education and life expectancy.
Globally, primary liver cancer resulted in an estimated 781 631 deaths at age-standardized mortality rate of 8.5/100 000, and 841 080 cases were estimated to be diagnosed in 2018. Males accounted for 596 574 cases and 548 375 deaths, which is more than twice the burden of primary liver cancer in females (cases: 244 506; deaths: 233 456). The global age-standardized incidence rate was 9.3/100 000 in 2018, varying from Morocco (1.1/100 000) to Mongolia (93.7/100 000). There were remarkable variations in terms of age-standardized mortality rate, too, which ranged from 1/100 000 in Nepal to 75.4/100 000 in Mongolia. East Asia was the top region contributing 55.6% of global cases and 54.7% of global deaths.
Since majority of the primary liver cancer burden pertains to hepatocellular carcinoma and screening approaches are yet to be fully proven, the policy focus must be on prevention approaches through the hepatitis-B vaccine, early detection of hepatitis-C infection, reduced alcohol consumption, obesity control, reduced aflatoxin exposure and containment of other modifiable risk factors.
Aim and background
Colon and rectum (colorectal) cancer cause substantial mortality and morbidity worldwide. The management and control of a complex disease such as cancer cannot rely on the old ...strategy of “one disease one medicine” and must make a transition into new-age practices involving predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM) at its core. Adoption of PPPM approach to cancer management at the policy level requires quantification of cancer burden at the country level. For this purpose, we examine the burden of colorectal cancer in 185 countries in 2018. Based on results, we discuss the opportunities presented by PPPM and challenges to be encountered while adopting PPPM for the treatment and prevention of colorectal cancer.
Data and methods
Age- and sex-wise estimates of colorectal cancer were procured from the GLOBOCAN 2018. The country- and region-wise burden of colorectal cancer in 185 countries was examined using all-age and age-standardized incidence and mortality estimates. Human development index (HDI) was employed as the indicator of socioeconomic status of a country. Mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) was employed as the proxy of 5-year survival rate.
Results
Globally, colorectal cancer claimed an estimated 880,792 lives (males 484,224; females 396,568) with 1.85 million new cases (males 1.03 million; females 823,303) were estimated to be diagnosed in 2018. Globally, the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) was 19.7/100,000, whereas age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) recorded to be 16.3/100,000 in 2018. Age-standardized rates were the highest in developed countries led by Hungary with ASIR of 51.2/100,000 followed by South Korea with ASIR of 44.5/100,000. ASMR followed the patterns of ASIR with the highest ASMR recorded by Hungary (21.5 per 100,000) and Slovakia (20.4 per 100,000). Globally, MIR stood at 0.48, and among the countries recording more than 1000 cases, Nepal registered the highest MIR of 0.83 and the lowest was recorded by South Korea (0.27). The age-standardized rates exhibited nonlinear association with HDI, whereas MIR was negatively associated with HDI.
Conclusion
Colorectal cancer causes a substantial burden worldwide and exhibit a positive association with the socioeconomic status. With the aid of improving screening modalities, preventable nature of the disease (due to dietary and lifestyle risk factors) and improving treatment procedures, the burden of CRC can largely be curtailed. The high burden of CRC in developing countries, therefore, calls for effective prevention strategies, cost-effective screening, and early-stage detection, cost-effective predictive, and personalized treatment regime.
Aim
This study examines the burden of colorectal cancer (CRC) in European Union (EU) countries in the last 3 decades.
Methods
The data pertaining to CRC burden were procured from the Global Burden of ...Disease 2019 Study for 28 EU countries (including United Kingdom) for the period 1990–2019. The age-standardized rates of CRC were utilized to compare the country-wise burden and joinpoint regression models were applied to examine the trends.
Results
In EU, CRC incident cases increased by 70.2% from 261,306 to 444,872 and deaths increased by 36.8% from 155,823 to 213,174 between 1990 and 2019. The age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) increased by 11.9% from 37.8/100,000 to 42.3/100,000 between 1990 and 2019; in contrast, the age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) decreased by 16.9% (1990: 22.4/100,000; 2019: 18.6/100,000) and age-standardized DALYs rate (ASDALR) decreased by 18.6% (1990: 472.9/100,000; 2019: 385.1/100,000) in the study period. In 2019, Hungary was the leading country in terms of ASMR (28.6/100,000) and ASDALR (630.3/100,000), and Lithuania (29.2/100,000) had the lowest ASIR, whereas Finland had the lowest ASMR (12.3/100,000) and ASDALR (253.6/100,000) in 2019.
Conclusion
CRC incidence is increasing in EU and mortality rates, although decreasing, are still unacceptably high. CRC control efforts must be focused around early detection using screening and prevention through reduction of modifiable risk factors. Increasing CRC incidence rates in young adults in recent years requires more research to pinpoint risk factors, and there must be more awareness of this recent development among general public and clinicians.
Abstract
Background
This study presents an up-to-date, comprehensive and comparative examination of breast cancer’s temporal patterns in females in Asia in last three decades.
Methods
The estimates ...of incidence, mortality, disability-adjusted-life-years and risk factors of breast cancer in females in 49 Asian countries were retrieved from Global Burden of Disease 2019 study.
Results
In Asia, female breast cancer incidence grew from 245 045226 259–265 260 in 1990 to 914 878815 789–1025 502 in 2019 with age-standardized incidence rate rising from 21.2/100 00019.6–22.9 to 35.9/100 00032.0–40.2 between 1990 and 2019. The death counts more than doubled from 136 665126 094–148 380 to 337 822301 454–375 251. The age-standardized mortality rate rose marginally between 1990 and 2019 (1990: 12.111.0–13.1; 2019: 13.412.0–14.9). In 2019, age-standardized incidence rate varied from 17.2/100 00013.95–21.4 in Mongolia to 122.592.1–160.7 in Lebanon and the age-standardized mortality rate varied 4-fold from 8.0/100 000 7.2–8.8 in South Korea to 51.939.0–69.8 in Pakistan. High body mass index (5.6%), high fasting plasma glucose (5.6%) and secondhand smoke (3.5%) were the main contributory risk factors to all-age disability-adjusted-life-years due to breast cancer in Asia.
Conclusion
With growing incidence, escalating dietary and behavioural risk factors and lower survival rates due to late-disease presentation in low- and medium-income countries of Asia, breast cancer has become a significant public health threat. Its rising burden calls for increasing breast cancer awareness, preventive measures, early-stage detection and cost-effective therapeutics in Asia.
This study presents an up-to-date, comprehensive and comparative examination of breast cancer’s temporal patterns and risk factors in females in 49 Asian countries in last three decades.
Cognitive radio (CR) is regarded as an emerging technology, which equips wireless devices with the capability to adapt their operating parameters on the fly based on the radio environment, to utilize ...the scarce radio frequency spectrum in an efficient and opportunistic manner. However, due to the increasingly pervasive existence of smart wireless devices in cognitive radio networks (CRNs), CR systems are vulnerable to numerous security threats that affect the overall performance. There have been many significant advances on security threats and countermeasures in CRNs in the past few years. Our main goal in this paper is to present the state-of-the-art research results and approaches proposed for CRN security to protect both unlicensed secondary users and licensed primary users. Specifically, we present the recent advances on security threats/attacks and countermeasures in CRNs focusing more on the physical layer by categorizing them in terms of their types, their existence in the CR cycle, network protocol layers (exploited during their activities and defense strategies), and game theoretic approaches. The recent important attacks and countermeasures in CRNs are also summarized in the form of tables. We also present recommendations that can be followed while implementing countermeasures to enhance CRN security. With this paper, readers can have a more thorough understanding of CRN security attacks and countermeasures, as well as research trends in this area.
Equilibrium knots are common in biological polymers-their prevalence, size distribution, structure, and dynamics have been extensively studied, with implications to fundamental biological processes ...and DNA sequencing technologies. Nanopore microscopy is a high-throughput single-molecule technique capable of detecting the shape of biopolymers, including DNA knots. Here we demonstrate nanopore sensors that map the equilibrium structure of DNA knots, without spurious knot tightening and sliding. We show the occurrence of both tight and loose knots, reconciling previous contradictory results from different experimental techniques. We evidence the occurrence of two quantitatively different modes of knot translocation through the nanopores, involving very different tension forces. With large statistics, we explore the complex knots and, for the first time, reveal the existence of rare composite knots. We use parametrized complexity, in concert with simulations, to test the theoretical assumptions of the models, further asserting the relevance of nanopores in future investigation of knots.
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