Analysis on incidence and mean age at diagnosis for Global Cancer

To investigate the incidence and mortality of cancer registered in Zhejiang province in 2009. The statistics of incidence and mortality of cancer were collected from 6 population-based cancer registries in Zhejiang province, including 30 613 new incidence cases and 16 920 death cases reported in 2009. The 6 cancer registries covered population at 9 560 699 in all. The crude rate, age-standardized rate, cumulative rate (0-74 years old), cut rate (35-64 years old), age-specific rate of incidence/mortality as well as the constitution of top 10 common cancers were then calculated and analyzed. The age-standardized rate was calculated and adjusted by the Chinese standard population in 1982 as well as the Segi's world standard population. The crude incidence of cancer was 320.20/100 000. Age-standardized incidence by Chinese standard population and by world standard population were separately 161.99/100 000 and 207.92/100 000, the cumulative rate was 23.83% and the cut rate was 346.87/100 000. Meanwhile, the crude mortality rate was 176.97/100 000, and the age-standardized mortality by Chinese standard population and by world standard population were 79.17/100 000, 107.02/100 000, respectively; and the cumulative mortality rate was 12.23% and cut rate was 139.75/100 000. Age-specific incidence among 0-34 years old population remained low; however, the incidence among 35-39 age group increased obviously (116.46/100 000, 954 cases). The incidence among 45-49 age group elevated even more sharply (272.97/100 000, 2388 cases) and finally reached the peak among 80-84 age group (1564.36/100 000, 2272 cases). Age-specific mortality arose among 40-44 age group (48.06/100 000, 424 cases) and reached its peak among 80-84 age group (1392.23/100 000, 2022 cases) as well. The most common types of cancer were lung cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, thyroid cancer, pancreatic cancer, cervical cancer and lymphoma, which accounted for 74.37% (22 763/30 613) of all new cancer cases.Lung cancer, liver cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, brain tumors and breast cancer accounted for 87.75% (14 848/16 920) of all cancer deaths. The incidence and mortality of cancer both increased in 2009 according to the statistics from cancer registry in Zhejiang province.Lung cancer, malignant tumor in digestive system and breast cancer were still the key challenges in cancer prevention and control. Meanwhile, the increased incidence of thyroid cancer should also be noticed.

ObjectiveTo report the incidence and mortality rates of oral and oropharyngeal cancer in Chinese population.MethodsData were taken from a population-based cancer registry collected by the National Central Cancer Registry of China (NCCRC) in 2015. The data collected from 501 local cancer registries in China were assessed using NCCRC screening methods and criteria. Incidence and mortality rates of oral and oropharyngeal cancer were stratified by age group, gender, and area. Age-standardized incidence and mortality rates were adjusted using the Chinese standard population in 2000 and Segi’s world population.ResultsIn 2015, it was estimated that there were 51,765 oral and oropharyngeal cancer incident cases and 23,830 deaths in China. The crude incidence rate of oral and oropharyngeal cancer was 3.77/100,000, and the age-standardized incidence rate by Chinese standard population and by Segi’s world standard population were 2.55/100,000 and 2.49/100,000, respectively. The crude mortality rate and the age-standardized mortality rates by Chinese standard population and by Segi’s world standard population were 1.73/100,000, 1.09/100,000 and 1.08/100,000, respectively. Both incidence and mortality rates of oral and oropharyngeal cancer were higher in males and in urban areas. Residents in eastern areas had the highest incidence and mortality rates, followed by those from middle areas and western areas. The rates of oral and oropharyngeal cancer increased greatly with age, especially after the age of 40 years.ConclusionsThis study reports the latest incidence and mortality rates of oral and oropharyngeal cancer in China. Prevention intervention including early detection, treatment, and regular follow-ups is encouraged to be set up to reduce incidence and mortality rates of oral and oropharyngeal cancer in the future.

To analyze the cancer incidence and mortality of Henan province in 2009. On basis of the criteria of data quality from the National Central Cancer Registry (NCCR), data from 6 registries in Henan province were evaluated, covering 6 061 564 people, accounting for 6.45% of the total population in Henan in 2009. There were 3 104 991 people of males, and 2 956 573 people of females. The incidence, mortality, 10 most common cancers, constitution and cumulative rate (0-74 years old) were then calculated. The age-standardized rate was calculated and adjusted by the Chinese standard population in 1982 as well as the Segi's world standard population. There were 12 091 new diagnosed cancer and 8040 death cases registered in Henan province in 2009. The rate of pathological diagnosis was 68.2% (8246/12 901) and only 1.75% (2116/12 901) had death certificates. The ratio of mortality and incidence was 0.66 (8040/12 091). The incidence rate was 199.47/100 000 (12 091/6 061 564) in total, and it was 216.36/100 000(6718/3 104 991) in males and 181.73/100 000(5373/2 956 573) among females. The standardized incidence by Chinese population was 126.50/100 000 and it was 166.08/100 000 by world's population. The cumulative rate was 19.95% between 0 and 74 years old. The incidence was the highest in Linzhou city, whose standardized incidence was 156.87/100 000 by Chinese population and the incidence was the lowest in Shenqiu city, whose standardized incidence was 104.82/100 000 by Chinese population. The morphology verified cases accounted for 68.2% (8246/12 091), death certification cases only accounted for 1.75% (2116/12 091), and mortality to incidence ratio was 0.66 (8040/12 091). The crude incidence in cancer registration areas of Henan province was 199.47/10 000 (12 091/6 061 564), 216.36/10 000(6718/3 104 991) for males, 181.73/10 000 (5373/2 956 573) for females, age-standardized incidence rates by Chinese standard population and by world standard population were 126.50/10 000 and 166.08/10 000 with cumulative incidence rate (0-74 age years old) of 19.95%. The crude mortality in cancer registration areas of Henan province was 132.64/100 000 (8040/6 061 564), separately 160.58/100 000 (4986/3 104 991) for males and 103.30/10 000 (3054/2 956 573) for females. The age-standardized mortality rates by Chinese standard population and by world's standard population were 78.41/10 000 and 107.49/10 000. The cumulative mortality rate (0-74 age years old) was 12.18%. The mortality rate was the highest in Linzhou city, whose standardized rate was 93.35/100 000 by Chinese population, and the lowest mortality rate was in Yuzhou city, whose standardized rate was 67.95/100 000. The most common cancers were lung cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, rectum cancer, brain nervous system cancer, colon cancer, cervical cancer and uterus cancer, all of which accounted for 82.23% (9943/12 091) of the registered cancers.Lung cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, rectum cancer, brain nervous system cancer, pancreas cancer, colon cancer and gallbladder carcinoma were the major causes for the death, accounting for 86.30% (6938/8040) of all cancer deaths. Both incidence and mortality of cancer in Henan province were lower than the level in China, prevention and control should be implemented based on practical situation.

Establishing a population-based cancer registry is crucial for understanding cancer incidence, identifying risk factors, and developing effective cancer control programs. The Kabul Cancer Registry (KCR), Afghanistan's first population-based cancer registry, was established in 2018. The purpose of this study was to estimate the incidence of cancer in Kabul between 2018 and 2020. The KCR, adhering to International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) standards, actively collected data on new cancer cases from health facilities in Kabul between 2018 and 2020. We used CanReg5 software to calculate age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) by cancer site in males and females, using the direct method with Segi's World Standard Population. The KCR recorded 4498 new cancer cases among Kabul residents, with a male-to-female ratio of 0.82:1. The overall ASIR was 44.3 per 100,000 person-years in males and 60.9 in females. The top five cancer sites in males were stomach (ASIR = 9.1), esophagus (ASIR = 5.5), colorectum (ASIR = 3.7), lymphoma (ASIR = 2.4), and liver (ASIR = 2.1). In females, the top five cancer sites were breast (ASIR = 14.9), esophagus (ASIR = 6.7), stomach (ASIR = 4.2), colorectum (ASIR = 3.8), and gallbladder(ASIR = 1.8). Childhood cancers (aged 0-14 years) represented 6.8% of all cancers, with leukemia accounting for 43.5% of the new cancer cases. The high incidence of breast, stomach, and esophagus cancers highlights the need for policymakers and healthcare providers to develop cancer control programs focused on primary prevention, early detection, and quality diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, this study underscores the importance of cancer registries and emphasizes the need to strengthen the KCR to improve data quality.

Incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in China in 2015

Despite steady decreases in the cancer burden in industrialized countries, its rapid increase in the developing world means that the number of cancer cases and deaths will likely more than double worldwide over the next two decades ([1][1]). Already a leading cause of death around the globe, cancer

This study presented the incidence and mortality rates of cancers affecting the female genital organs in China, along with their trends spanning from 2010 to 2018. 700 population-based cancer registries provided relevant cancer incidence and mortality data for the year 2018. Among these, 106 registries had continuous monitoring data suitable for trend analysis from 2010 to 2018. We focused specifically on cancers affecting female genital organs (ICD10=C51-C54, C56) and projected their incidences and mortalities in China for 2022 based on data from 2018 and the trends observed from 2010 to 2018. Age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and mortality rate (ASMR) were calculated using Segi's world standard population. In 2022, there were an estimated 296,300 new cases and 104,900 deaths from female cancers in China. ASIRs for vulva (C51), vagina (C52), cervix uteri (C53), corpus uteri (C54), and ovary (C56) were 0.32, 0.23, 13.83, 6.84, and 5.68 per 100,000 population. ASIRs for corpus uteri and ovary cancers were higher in urban areas. ASMRs for vulva, vagina, cervix, corpus uteri, and ovary cancers were 0.14, 0.08, 4.54, 1.05, and 2.64 per 100,000 population, respectively. ASMR for ovarian cancer was higher in urban areas. ASIRs and ASMRs for most female genital organ cancers increased from 2010 to 2018, although the rate of increase for vulvar and cervical cancers in rural areas has slowed recently. Tailored cancer prevention and control programs specific to each region are necessary to address the growing disease burden.

Objective: To analyze the current status and trends of lung cancer incidence and mortality in China and selected global regions, providing evidence for lung cancer prevention strategies in China. Methods: We extracted data from the GLOBOCAN 2022 database. Age-standardized Incidence rate (ASIR) and Age-standardized Mortality rate (ASMR) were calculated using Segi's world standard population. Epidemiological patterns were analyzed by region, age, sex, and human development index (HDI). Simple linear regression and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient were used to examine associations between HDI and ASIR/ASMR. Results: In 2022, global lung cancer incidence and mortality reached 2.48 million and 1.82 million cases respectively, with age-standardized rates of 23.6 per 100 000 (ASIR) and 16.8 per 100 000 (ASMR). Gender disparities were prominent, with male ASIR and ASMR being 2.0-fold and 2.5-fold higher than females. Elderly populations showed 11.6-fold higher ASIR and 14.4-fold higher ASMR compared to working-age adults. HDI demonstrated strong positive correlations with both ASIR (r=0.79, P＜0.001) and ASMR (r=0.74, P＜0.001). China accounted for 1.06 million new cases and 0.73 million deaths, with ASIR (40.8 per 100 000) and ASMR (26.7 per 100 000) exceeding global averages by 1.7-fold and 1.6-fold respectively. Chinese males showed 1.7-fold higher ASIR and 2.7-fold higher ASMR than females. Trend analysis revealed persistently high male incidence in China whereas rapidly increasing female rates, narrowing gender disparities. Projections estimate 1.80 million incident cases and 1.41 million deaths by 2050, representing 69.3% and 92.0% increases from 2022 levels. Conclusions: Significant heterogeneity exists in lung cancer burden across demographics and development levels, with strong HDI correlations. China bears disproportionate disease burden, necessitating intensified prevention efforts. These findings underscore the urgency of targeted interventions in high-risk populations.

Objective: To describe the epidemiological characteristics of bladder cancer in 2015 and temporal trends in China. Methods: From 501 cancer registries in China, we collected data of cancer new cases, deaths and populations in 2015. After qualified, sex-specific, area-specific, age-specific and overall incidence/mortality rates (including age-standardized rates by Chinese standard population and by world standard population) and estimated cases of bladder cancer were calculated. Annual Percent Change (APC)/Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC) fitted from Log-line model was applied to evaluate the temporal trends of bladder cancer incidence/mortality rates from 1998 to 2015. Results: Bladder cancer is the 13(th) most common cancer in China. The crude, age-standardized by China standard population and by world standard population rates were 5.80/10(5), 3.60/10(5) and 3.57/10(5) for incidence, and 2.37/10(5), 1.31/10(5) and 1.32/10(5) for mortality, respectively. The incidence of bladder cancer ranked 7(th) in male. The incidence and mortality of male were 3.8 and 4.0 times as high as those of female. Bladder cancer incidence in urban area was 1.4 times as high as that in rural area. Incidence in western areas and middle areas of China were similar, which were lower than that in eastern areas. Geographical distribution characteristics of mortality was along with incidence.Both incidence and mortality remained low before 45 and 55 years old, then they increased rapidly and peaked at 80-84 and over 85 years old age group. Temporal trend analysis suggested that bladder cancer incidence in China increased in 1998-2007 (APC=2.58, P<0.001), while decreased from 2007 to 2015 (APC=-3.82, P<0.001). Bladder cancer mortality declined gradually, with APCs for 1998-2003 and 2003-2015 of 3.65% (P=0.002) and 1.42% (P<0.001). Conclusions: Bladder cancer is one of the main cancers in China. Its epidemiological distributions varies among different sex, area and age group. Both incidence and mortality of bladder cancer decline. More efforts on tobacco control should be made, and awareness of early diagnosis and early treatment could be enhanced for the middle-aged and elderly.

Cancer awareness, diagnosis and treatment needs in Mizoram, India: evidence from 18 years trends (2003–2020)

Objective: To analyze the 5-year cancer relative survival rate in cancer registries of Shandong Province during 2012-2018. Methods: 399 072 new cancer cases were collected in 23 cancer registries in Shandong Province during 2012-2018. All malignant tumors (C00-C97, D45-D47), benign central nervous system tumors (D32-D33), and central nervous system tumors (D42-D43) were registered according to the 10th revision of international classification of diseases (ICD). The survival of cancer patients was obtained by passive and active follow-up. The follow-up date was December 31, 2020. The diagnostic years were divided into three periods: 2012-2014, 2015-2017 and 2018-2020. The 5-year cancer survival rates were calculated by cohort approach, period analysis and hybrid approach, and the survival status of different sex, urban and rural areas, cancer species and age groups were analyzed. Results: The age of 399 072 new cancer cases was (63.5±13.7) years old, with 57.77% (230 538 cases) about male and 32.89% (131 247 cases) from urban. During 2012-2014, 2015-2017 and 2018-2020, the 5-year cancer survival rates in Shandong Province were 32.3%, 34.7% and 40.2%, respectively. In 2018-2020, the first five cancers with survival rates were thyroid cancer (86.0%), breast cancer (78.2%), testicular cancer (75.7%), bladder cancer (70.3%) and uterine cancer (69.2%), and the last five cancers with survival rates were pancreatic cancer (15.5%), liver cancer (16.8%), gallbladder cancer (19.6%), bone cancer (22.7%) and lung cancer (24.4%). The 5-year survival rate for cancer of women (47.8%) was higher than that of men (33.8%), and the rate of urban areas (45.7%) was higher than that of rural areas (37.3%) during 2018-2020. The first five cancers in men were thyroid (87.1%), testicular (75.7%), bladder (70.9%), kidney (65.6%) and prostate (62.8%) cancers, and the last five cancers were pancreatic (14.3%), liver (16.8%), gallbladder (18.2%), bone (19.9%) and lung (21.7%) cancers. The first five cancers in women were thyroid (85.5%), breast (78.0%), uterine (69.2%), bladder (68.8%) and kidney (66.8%) cancers, and the last five cancers were liver (17.2%), pancreatic (17.2%), gallbladder (22.0%), bone (27.2%) and lung (29.1%) cancers. Conclusion: The 5-year cancer survival rate in Shandong Province was on the rise from 2012 to 2018, and the survival rates of different cancers were different.

The burden of cancer is increasing worldwide due to ageing, growing populations and increased exposure to major risk factors, including unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle and for many populations, tobacco smoking (Global Burden of Disease Cancer Collaboration et al., 2015). This trend is part of a wider phenomenon of increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) (World Health Organization, 2011). Deaths from NCDs are projected to increase from 38 million to 52 million between 2012 and 2030 (World Health Organization, 2014). The NCD burden is not evenly distributed, with more than 80% of all premature NCD deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The growing burden of cancer in developing countries is due to changes in lifestyle and reproductive factors, which complement a pre-existing high burden caused by infectious diseases (Bray, Jemal, Grey, Ferlay, & Forman, 2012; Kanavos, 2006). Much of the cancer burden in developing countries is preventable through lifestyle modification, tobacco control, screening and vaccination (Kanavos, 2006). As a result of overburdened, poorly developed and fragmented health care systems, the prevailing lack of prevention, early detection and treatment interventions contributes to a disproportionately higher cancer mortality in these countries. Given many competing priorities, governments and donor agencies lack the resources and strategic direction to address the scale of the NCD challenge (Reeler & Mellstedt, 2006). Underfinanced health care facilities are not able to offer complex and expensive cancer treatments (Global Burden of Disease Cancer Collaboration et al., 2015). Another important issue is the lack of appropriate data on cancer incidence, mortality and outcomes of services. These data are necessary to understand the extent of the cancer problem across the population, and to monitor status changes in incidence and mortality, including responses to cancer control initiatives, such as treatment and preventive programmes (Bray, Znaor, et al., 2015; Parkin, 2006). In this commentary, we provide an overview of cancer epidemiology and cancer registration challenges in LMIC, with a special focus on the Pacific Islands. There were an estimated 14.1 million new incident cancer cases and 8.2 million cancer deaths globally in 2012, with 57% of new cases and 65% of the cancer deaths occurring in the less developed countries (Ferlay et al., 2013). Large increase in global cancer burden is projected by 2025 (Bray, 2014). Increases in cancer incidence are projected to be proportionally greatest in LMIC (Bray et al., 2012). According to GLOBOCAN data, the overall age-standardised cancer incidence and cancer mortality rates in less developed regions were 147.7 and 98.4 per 100 000 people in 2012 (Ferlay et al., 2013). The most frequent cancer sites were lung, breast, stomach, liver and colon/rectum. By comparison, the corresponding cancer incidence and mortality rates in more developed regions were 267.2 and 108.5 per 100 000 respectively. The smaller elevation in mortality than incidence in more developed areas reflects both a difference in mix towards less lethal cancer types and better survival. The incidence gap is closing rapidly, however, as developing countries adopt "Western" lifestyle and health behaviours (Bray, 2014). In more developed areas, breast, prostate, lung and colorectal cancers comprise approximately half of all cancers, whereas in less developed areas, stomach, liver and cervical cancers play a more important role (Ferlay et al., 2015). Infectious agents play an important role in the genesis of these cancers highlighting the greater importance of infections as a cancer cause in developing countries. Infections are responsible for an estimated 25% of cancers in developing countries, whereas the corresponding proportion is about 10% in developed countries (Plummer et al., 2016). In recent decades, a cancer transition has taken place, however, with an increasing incidence of breast, colorectal and prostate cancers also taking place in less affluent populations which historically had a lower risk of these cancers (Bray et al., 2012). Changes in reproductive, dietary, metabolic, hormonal and behavioural factors are likely to be responsible for this transition. Pacific Islands countries and territories (PICTs) comprise 20 000–30 000 islands in the Pacific Ocean (World Health Organization Western Pacific Region, 2012). PICTs vary in stage of human development, size, culture and economic resources; however, they all face the triple burden of NCDs, communicable diseases and the impact of climate change (World Health Organization Western Pacific Region, 2012). PICTs have one of the highest NCD incidence rates in the world, comprising the leading cause of mortality. Relatively small populations, large physical areas with long distances, geographic isolation, reliance on overseas assistance and weak economies complicate the provision of the health care services that would be essential to address this increasing public health challenge. The cancer burden is thought to be increasing in the PICTs, although only limited quantitative evidence is available due to a paucity of cancer incidence and mortality data (Moore et al., 2010; Varghese, Carlos, & Shin, 2014). Eight of the 22 PICTs were included in the GLOBOCAN 2012 (Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu) (Ferlay et al., 2013). Most of these PICTs had national incidence data for some diagnostic time periods, but not Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, where all cancer rates or rates for neighbouring countries have been used to estimate cancer incidence. Meanwhile, mortality data were missing for Guam, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, where mortality estimates were derived from estimated national incidence rates and modelled survival. None of the PICTs were reflected in or contributed to the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Volume X (CI5-X) publication (Forman et al., 2014), indicating their relatively low availability of high quality data. According to GLOBOCAN 2012, cancer incidence was estimated to be highest in New Caledonia (age-standardised rate (ASR) of 330.7 for men and 269.3 for women per 100 000) and in French Polynesia (ASR 287.4 for men and 227.3 for women per 100 000) (Ferlay et al., 2013). Similarly, age-standardised cancer mortality rates were estimated to be highest in French Polynesia (ASR 153.9 for men and 116.3 for women per 100 000) and New Caledonia (ASR 146.0 for men and 112.0 for women per 100 000). In all other countries, cancer incidence estimates were below the World average, with cancer incidence generally higher among women than men. The most common cancers among men were estimated to be prostate, lung, stomach, liver and lip/oral cavity cancers. For women, breast cancer was ranked as the most common cancer in all countries, except in Papua New Guinea where cervical cancer was most common. Notably Papua New Guinea accounts for over a third of the total Pacific population at over 6 million, thereby increasing the contribution of cervical cancer to the cancer burden in the Pacific region. A study examining cancer incidence in four PICTs (Fiji, Tonga, Cook Islands and Niue) reported that age-standardised cancer incidence was lower in these countries than among Pacific people living in New Zealand (Foliaki et al., 2011). Under-recording is likely to have contributed to these differences. Despite relatively low (reported) cancer incidence in many PICTs, cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the region (Carter et al., 2011, 2016; Pacific Regional Central Cancer Registry, 2015). There are distinguishing features of cancer epidemiology in the PICTs, such as very high thyroid cancer incidence in New Caledonia and French Polynesia (Ferlay et al., 2013), a high burden of cervical and uterine cancers, especially in Fiji and the Cook Islands (Foliaki et al., 2011; Law et al., 2013) and a high burden of oral cavity and pharyngeal cancers linked with betel nut chewing (Moore et al., 2010; Pacific Regional Central Cancer Registry, 2015). Nuclear tests conducted by France in French Polynesia and by the US in Marshall Islands have been linked to increased thyroid cancer and leukaemia rates (Bouchardy, Benhamou, de Vathaire, Schaffar, & Rapiti, 2011; Simon, Bouville, Land, & Beck, 2010). Data collected by population-based cancer registries (PBCR) are the gold standard for providing information on cancer incidence across geographic areas and for planning population-wide cancer control programmes (Bray, Znaor, et al., 2015). Full case ascertainment and unbiased information on cancer burden is optimally achieved where there is a well-functioning health care system. Availability as well as quality of cancer incidence and mortality data tends to increase with development and infrastructure levels, with many LMIC still without cancer registration systems in place or hospital- or pathology-based registration systems that are not population-based. In addition to cancer data, population denominator data are also needed in order to provide accurate information on cancer incidence rates. These data commonly come from censuses which may be rarely or irregularly conducted in developing countries (Valsecchi & Steliarova-Foucher, 2008). Population-based cancer registries systematically collect information on all cancers occurring in a defined population using multiple data sources, whereas hospital- and pathology-based registries collect information on cases treated/diagnosed in selected institutions or laboratories (Bray, Znaor, et al., 2015). While useful, such data may not be representative of the overall population experience and may contain important statistical biases from a population perspective. While data collected from hospital- or pathology-based registries may provide a misleading cancer profile for the general population, they still can be useful for hospital administration purposes, for reviewing clinical performance and for providing information about cancer profiles of people who obtain hospital/pathology services (Bray, Znaor, et al., 2015; Valsecchi & Steliarova-Foucher, 2008). There are many challenges with cancer registration in developing countries, including weak or non-existent health care infrastructures, lack of accurate death records and population data, complicating issues related to cultural norms and problems caused by political and economic instability, and mobile populations (Parkin & Sanghvi, 1991; Valsecchi & Steliarova-Foucher, 2008). In order to register all cases of cancer, data need to be collected from multiple sources, including hospitals, laboratories and death certificates (Bray, Znaor, et al., 2015). Lack of health care networks, poorly developed communications between different stakeholders as well as inability to uniquely identify individuals complicate the collection of these data (Valsecchi & Steliarova-Foucher, 2008). Underestimation of both cancer cases and deaths is commonplace where many people lack access to basic health care services and cancers and cancer deaths go unrecorded, as may apply in particular in the rural areas. People may die at home and be buried at home or otherwise locally without reporting to government authorities (Jedy-Agba et al., 2015). Poor transportation networks and phone connections, cultural and religious constraints, preference for traditional healing and taboos and stigmas relating to cancer contribute to an underestimation of numbers of cancer and a lack of follow-up for registered cases (Valsecchi & Steliarova-Foucher, 2008). In addition to these technical challenges, a lack of financial and material resources, trained personnel and support from governments, policymakers and health professionals further complicates cancer registration. As cancer registration involves considerable costs, regional registries collecting data on sub-national samples have been considered good options in some low-resource countries (Bray, Znaor, et al., 2015). When cancer data are collected, there may be issues with quality, such as low proportions of cases confirmed microscopically due to a lack of pathology services (Bray, Ferlay, et al., 2015). Cancer diagnoses may be based on clinical examination only, with greater uncertainty (Parkin & Sanghvi, 1991). Another important indicator of poorer data quality is a high percentage of cases registered from death certificates only (DCOs), reflecting incomplete case identification (Bray, Ferlay, et al., 2015). On the other hand, a total lack of DCOs may indicate failure to use death certificate information or to link death information to the cancer registry (Curado, Voti, & Sortino-Rachou, 2009). Accuracy of diagnostic information derived from death certificates is generally suboptimal. In addition, there may be specific problems in developing countries in relation to the quality of death certification, with information on causes of death often missing/erroneous and with certificates often completed by lay-people instead of medical doctors. In addition to cancer diagnosis and death data, other essential data may be missing or incomplete, including birth date, age and place of residence (Jedy-Agba et al., 2015). Lack of co-operation and difficulties in accessing data from several data sources may be caused by general distrust of government-related activities, lack of a culture of data collection and concerns about confidentiality (Jedy-Agba et al., 2015). Making cancer a registrable disease by government regulations can mitigate challenges in data collection and increase the authority of PBCR, although success is likely to depend on availability of resources and culture and politics of the country. Continuous monitoring and mentoring involving both local and international experts and sustainable funding models are often essential for ongoing, successful registration (Jedy-Agba et al., 2015). Commonly, low cancer data quality stems from overall weakness of health care system and, therefore, wide-ranging system-level improvements would materially improve registry quality. The first cancer registry in the PICTs was established in Papua New Guinea in 1958 (Foliaki et al., 2011). According to information from the World Health Organization, many PICTs have cancer registries nowadays (World Health Organization, 2016). In addition, most PICTs have collected census information in recent years (Secretariat of the Pacific Community, 2016). There are issues, however, with quality, coverage and completeness of cancer data (Dachs et al., 2008; Moore et al., 2010; Shin, Carlos, & Varghese, 2012). Many of the registration challenges mentioned earlier in this commentary are familiar to PICTs. Lack of infrastructure, coordination and funding, poorly developed health care systems, under-recording as well as poor quality of death certificates and diagnostic information complicate the collection of cancer data in many PICTs (Palafox et al., 2004). Along with vast distances between PICTs and degree of remoteness, the high proportions of foreign contract workers in some islands, and conversely the extent to which the birth population has migrated off-island impact the development of sustainable infrastructure. Different development agencies, including funders of new programmes, often request data in formats and using software modules that are not familiar to local data custodians complicating the meaningful collection and utilisation of data at the regional level. Many PICTs have close relationships with 'host' countries (the US, New Zealand and France) and are dependent on external aid, including health development. There is an opportunity to review health development assistance platforms with one of the major initiatives being health information and monitoring. Due to natural conditions, many PICTs are dependent on imported food (World Health Organization Western Pacific Region, 2012). Financial incentives, such as the Nuclear Claims Tribunal in the Marshall Islands, may facilitate the case finding of certain cancer types, but not others. Natural and other disasters have destroyed cancer registry databases in Nauru (Palafox et al., 2004), Niue (Foliaki et al., 2011) and American Samoa (Tsark, Cancer Council of the Pacific Islands, & Braun, 2007). Due to limited treatment options, people diagnosed with cancer may die off-island and, therefore, may not be registered. The Global Monitoring Framework of WHO, subsequent to the United Nations high-level meeting to "launch and all-out attack" on NCDs in 2011, specifically mentions the recording of cancer incidence by type of cancer per 100 000 population as an indicator to monitor 2025 targets; thereby placing an onus on countries to establish PBCR. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in collaboration with major international and national partner organisations established the Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development (GICR) in 2011 (International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2014, 2016). The aim of the GICR is to improve the coverage, quality and networking capacities of PBCR in LMIC. The GICR is organised around Regional Hubs for providing technical support and on-site training, assessing data quality and overall capacity for development, coordinating different activities and monitoring overall progress in the region. One of these is the emerging Pacific Islands Regional Hub which will focus on supporting cancer registries and improving data collection and data utilisation for cancer control in Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Guam, French Polynesia and Samoa. The Hub will be governed by an Advisory Board comprising regional experts from participating PICTs, along with Australia and New Zealand, and other local experts in the use of registry data to support local service delivery and research. The Pacific Islands Regional Hub will comprise a collaboration of registry experts, local public health practitioners and administrations. The registry experts will provide support and consultancy services for existing registries, such as ongoing training and assistance with registration, quality assurance, statistical analysis and research activities, whereas local PICT public health practitioners and administrators will give direction to the use of these data for local service delivery. There is no question that the Pacific Hub initiative should be tested, along with obligations to establish PBCR. It will be critical to continually monitor progress and reassess implementation in terms of strategic approaches, steps taken, and local involvement to ensure full participation and ownership of the initiative by Pacific countries, as well as sustainability and effectiveness of the Hub activities. The US-associated PICTs (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Belau) established the Cancer Council of the Pacific Islands and the Pacific Regional Central Cancer Registry in the early 2000s (Pacific Regional Central Cancer Registry, 2015; Tsark, Cancer Council of the Pacific Islands, & Braun, 2007). This collaboration has enabled the development of culturally appropriate cancer control strategies and activities for the US-associated PICTs, with publication of cancer incidence rates for 2007–2012. The key to the success has been culturally appropriate approaches, local capacity building and leadership, and funding support. The Pacific Islands Regional Hub seeks to build on this experience and through collaborative arrangements, provide complementary support services for other PICTs that are attuned to their needs. In order to strengthen cancer registration in the PICTs, improvements in health care systems and infrastructure are needed more generally and in quality of death certificates and diagnostic information systems. The key strategies for achieving these improvements include building governance structures which coordinate the responsibilities and actions of different stakeholders and using culturally appropriate methods in order to ensure strong local engagement and sustainability. The potential of the emerging Pacific Islands Regional Hub to serve a useful role in advancing and coordinating these activities will be tested. None to declare.

Nationwide cancer incidence data were used to analyze the trends of cancer incidence in China in order to provide basic information for making cancer control strategy. We retrieved and re-sorted valid cancer incidence data from the National Central Cancer Registry Database over the 20 year-period 1989-2008. Crude incidence rate and age-standardized incidence rate were calculated for analysis. Annual percent changes in incidence for all cancers combined were estimated using Joinpoint software. The cancer incidence rate in cancer registration areas was increased from 184.81/10(5) in 1989 to 286.69/10(5) in 2008 (from 209.33/10(5) to 307.04/10(5) in urban and from 176.10/10(5) to 269.57/10(5) in rural areas). Uptrends of crude cancer incidence were shown in both male and female in urban and rural areas over the 20 year-period. After standardized by age, overall incidence rate kept stable with 0.5% annual increase in urban and no change in rural areas. Since 2000, the cancer incidences in both sexes and areas were significantly increased. The incidence increased for most major cancers, especially lung cancer, colorectal cancer, female breast cancer and cervical cancer. Over the 20 year-period 1989-2008, cancer incidence of most cancers has been increasing by time. The incidences of gastric cancer, liver cancer and esophageal cancer still keep gradually increasing. The incidences of lung cancer, female breast cancer, colorectal cancer and cervical cancer are markedly going up, so that cancer prevention and control should be enhanced. Cancer registration will play an important role on cancer control in China along with the number of registries increasing and data quality improving.

Disparities in mortality risk after diagnosis of hematological malignancies in 185 countries: A global data analysis

To analyze the incidence and mortality of oral cavity and pharyngeal cancer in cancer-registration areas of China in 2009. We collected data about incidence of oral cavity and pharyngeal from 72 cancer registry sites of National Central Registry Database in 2009, covering 85 470 522 person (57 489 009 were from urban areas, 27 981 513 were from rural areas).Incidence and mortality rates, proportions, cumulative rate (0-74 years old), cut rate (35-64 years old), age-specific rate were then calculated and analyzed respectively. The age-standardized rate was calculated and adjusted by the Chinese standard population in 1982 as well as the Segi's world standard population. There were 2803 new diagnosed oral cavity and pharyngeal cancer cases, 1793 male and 1010 female, with the sex ratio at 1.78: 1. The crude incidence rate of oral cavity and pharyngeal cancer was 3.28/100 000(2803/85 470 522). The crude incidence rate of males was 4.15/100 000(1793/43 231 554) while it was 2.39/100 000(1010/42 238 968) among females. The age-standardized incidence rates by Chinese standard population (ASIRC) and the world standard population were 1.72/100 000 and 2.23/100 000 respectively, and the cumulative rate and cut rate was separately 0.26% and 4.02/100 000. The crude incidence and ASIRC of oral cavity and pharyngeal cancers were 3.87/100 000 (2225/57 489 009) and 1.97/100 000 in urban areas, whereas in rural areas, they were 2.07/100 000(578/27 981 513) and 1.17/100 000. There were 1172 death cases, including 825 males and 347 females. The crude mortality rate was 1.37/100 000 (1172/85 470 522), while it was 1.91/100 000(825/43 231 554) among males and 0.82/100 000(347/42 238 968) among females. The age-standardized incidence rates were 0.64/100 000 and 0.88/100 000 respectively, by Chinese standard population (ASMRC) and the world standard population. The cumulative mortality rate (0-74 age years old) and cut rate were separately 0.10% and 1.34/100 000. The mortality and ASMRC were 1.59/100 000(915/57 489 009) and 0.72/100 000 in urban areas, whereas in rural areas, they were 0.92/100 000(257/27 981 513) and 0.48/100 000 respectively. Both the incidence and mortality of oral cavity and pharyngeal cancer in China were still low in 2009.