Although primary brain cancer isn’t common, the survival rate is much lower than any other type of cancer. The medical community still doesn’t understand the primary cause of brain cancer.
According to the data of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, an average of 240 new cases of primary brain cancer and 115 deaths in Hong Kong were recorded every year between 2011 and 2020.
The university research team referenced international databases from the Global Cancer Observatory, the World Health Organization Mortality Database, and the World Health Organization Global Health Observatory for their research. Using the collected data, they calculated and analyzed the age-adjusted incidence, mortality rate, and prevalence of various brain cancer risk factors.
The study found the burden of disease caused by brain cancer varied in different regions. Among the countries, the incidence rate in southern Europe is the highest, while the mortality rate in West Asia topped the analysis.
The research showed that brain cancer is directly proportional to per capita gross domestic product, the human development index, traumatic brain injury, occupational carcinogen exposure, and cellphone usage. Countries or regions with more of these significant risk factors have higher mortality rates.
The study also found that the incidence rate for young males in developed countries has been increasing. Using the Average Annual Percentage Change (AAPC) for comparison, the largest increase in incidence rate among males was found in Slovakia (4.4). Among females, the largest increase was found in Denmark (3.4).
The AAPC is a measure of the overall changes in cancer incidence or mortality during a specific period. For example, if the incidence AAPC of certain cancer in a country is five for the past 10 years, it means that the incidence in that country increased by 5 percent on average each year over the 10-year period.
Notably, a relatively larger increase was found in males aged 50 years and younger, which was most pronounced in Slovakia again. The trend in mortality from primary brain cancer has been stable rather than showing an obvious decreasing trend.
“The incidence of and mortality from primary brain cancer varies by region, which may be related to detection and diagnosis ability and the prevalence of risk factors in each place. However, the causes have not been established yet and require further investigation,” said Dr. Jason Huang Junjie, the first author of the study and research assistant professor from the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Medicine.
Professor Martin Wong Chi-sang, the senior corresponding author of the study, added, “Policymakers in different regions should implement evidence-based, targeted prevention strategies to control relevant risk factors.”
