[Epidemiological characteristics of leukemia in China and worldwide]

Objective: To analyse the incidence and mortality of leukemia in China and some regions around the world in 2022, and to provide data support and scientific basis for leukemia prevention and control. Methods: Based on GLOBOCAN 2022 database, the incidence and death data of leukemia in different regions in the world and China were collected, and the epidemiological characteristics of leukemia were analyzed according to the regions, genders, ages and human development index (HDI). The correlation between HDI index and age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) was analyzed by Spearman's rank correlation test. Results: In 2022, the global number of new and fatal leukemia cases were 487,294 and 305,405, respectively, with ASIR and ASMR at 5.3/10⁵ and 3.1/10⁵. The highest numbers of new and fatal cases were in Asia, totaling 227 206 and 158 144, respectively, accounting for 46.6% and 51.8% of the global totals. North America and Oceania had relatively high ASIR (11.2/10⁵ and 10.2/10⁵ respectively), while Oceania and Latin America and the Caribbean region had relatively high ASMR (both at 3.7/10⁵). Globally, the ASIR and ASMR of leukemia in males are both 1.4 times of those in females. The incidence and mortality of leukemia in the elderly were significantly higher compared to the working-age population and children and adolescents, in which the incidence ratio of the elderly and the working-age population is 6.3 and the mortality ratio is 8.3. HDI levels were positively correlated with both ASIR (r=0.78, P＜0.001) and ASMR (r=0.39, P＜0.001) across different regions. In 2022, the number of new and fatal leukemia cases in China were 81 946 and 50 074, respectively, with the ASIR and ASMR were 4.5/10⁵ and 2.4/10⁵ respectively. The ASIR and ASMR for males in China were 1.3 and 1.4 times of those for females, respectively. In terms of the incidence trend of leukemia, the incidence of male and female leukemia in China was relatively stable from 2002 to 2017. It is predicted that the number of leukemia cases and deaths in China in 2050 will be 111 189 and 78 995, respectively, with an increase of 35.7% and 57.8% compared with 2022. Conclusions: There are significant differences in the burden of leukemia by region, HDI, sex, and age. With the aging of the population and the acceleration of industrialization, the risk of leukemia incidence and death in China has further increased, and the prevention and treatment of leukemia should be further strengthened.