Global trends and disparities in cancer burden among older adults: From aging to oncology

While population aging accelerates globally, comprehensive assessments of cancer epidemiology in older adults remain limited. This study aimed to characterize the evolving landscape of cancer burden in older populations worldwide.

Data from the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) 2022 and Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021 were analyzed to quantify cancer burden in older adults (≥65 years). Age-standardized incidence and mortality rates (ASIR, ASMR) were assessed across sex, geographic location, and Human Development Index (HDI). GBD's Bayesian modeling analyzed trends (1990-2021) and projected burden to 2036.

According to GLOBOCAN 2022, older adults accounted for 10.6 million new cancer cases and 6.0 million deaths globally, with lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers being the most common. The cancer burden was 1.7-fold higher in males than in females. While very high HDI regions had more than three times the incidence rates of low-HDI regions, they showed substantially lower mortality-to-incidence ratios, suggesting better survival. GBD 2021 projected a 75.5% increase in cases among older adults by 2036, with growth rates far exceeding those in younger age groups.

Population aging is driving a fundamental shift in global cancer patterns, with older adults experiencing the most rapid case growth and highest incidence burden, alongside persistent inequalities that disproportionately affect males, high-HDI regions in incidence, and low-HDI regions in survival outcomes.