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Cancer Mortality Rates Are Declining In 9 Latin American Countries

Cancer Mortality Rates Are Declining In 9 Latin American Countries
VOXXI
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Overall cancer mortality has declined in some countries of the Americas, though it remains the second most common cause of death according to Cancer in the Americas: Country Profiles, 2013, a report released this week at the Fifth International Cancer Control Congress in Lima, Peru.

The data indicates overall cancer deaths are declining in nine countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Venezuela and the United States. Mexico, Nicaragua and El Salvador have the lowest cancer mortality numbers, with the highest cancer mortality rates found in Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba and Argentina.

Overall, Latin America and the Caribbean account for 50 percent of cancer-related mortality in the report despite having more than 60 percent of the region’s population, and men are typically more affected compared to women with the exceptions of El Salvador and Nicaragua, where female cancer mortality is higher due to deaths from cervical and stomach cancers.

Prevalent cancers in Latin America

Latin America and the Caribbean nations also differ from other American countries due to the types of cancer most prevalent in the population. According to the report, cancer deaths in Latin America and the Caribbean are primarily due to prostate cancer, followed by lung, stomach and colorectal cancers in men, and in women, breast cancer, stomach, lung, cervical and colorectal cancers are leading causes of mortality.

In comparison, in Canada and the United States lung cancer is the leading cancer killer for both men and women.

Unfortunately, the number of women affected by preventable cancers remains a concern for experts. In most 22 countries of the Americas, breast cancer remains the leading cancer cause of death for women. Honduras, Nicaragua and Bolivia all see cervical cancer as the leading cause of cancer death in women.

Deaths by preventable cancers

“The large number of deaths from breast and cervical cancer in Latin America and the Caribbean is very disconcerting, since cervical cancer is largely preventable, and breast cancer can be detected early and treated successfully,’’ Silvana Luciani, PAHO/WHO advisor on cancer prevention and control, said in a statement. ‘’This points to the need to improve screening and treatment, especially for women in rural and remote areas, where access to health services is especially limited.”

Despite the concerns regarding access to treatment and prevention for cervical and breast cancers, numbers are decreasing in some parts of the region.

Cervical cancer mortality has declined significantly in 11 countries, including Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela and the United States. Similarly, breast cancer mortality rates are decreasing in Canada, the United States and Argentina.

However, Costa Rica and Ecuador have seen an increase in breast cancer mortality.

Cancer mortality and prevalence in Latin America

Other specific cancer findings from the report include:

  • In 18 countries, prostate cancer is the leading cancer cause of death for men.
  • Stomach cancer is highly prevalent in Central America and the Andean region, and is the leading cancer cause of death for both men and women in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador and Peru, and for men only in Bolivia, Chile and Colombia.
  • Gallbladder cancer, is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths for women in Chile, though is an uncommon cancer in most other countries.
  • Lung cancer mortality has declined for both men and women in Canada, Mexico, Nicaragua and the United States, though rates in other countries remain stable.
  • Prostate cancer deaths are declining in Argentina, Canada, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela and the United States, but are increasing in Cuba.
  • Adult tobacco smoking is highest in Chile, Bolivia and Uruguay, and is considered the most influential contributor to cancer numbers.
  • Obesity is most common in English-speaking Caribbean countries, primarily the Bahamas, Belize, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Researchers hope the new break down of cancer mortality statistics will help countries develop treatment and prevention programs best suited for their population’s needs.

“The idea is to provide key information that can help countries monitor progress in cancer control and assess areas of need,” said Luciani. “This report contributes significantly to the evidence base for cancer policy making and health care.”

Cancer protocols

The report is one of the key components of an initiative set forth by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO), which seeks to help countries implement comprehensive cancer protocols.

Among the plans set in motion, PAHO/WHO works to:

  • Expand immunization against infections that cause certain types of cancer, such as cervical cancer (HPV) and liver cancer (hepatitis B).
  • Strengthen public health policies for cancer prevention, including policies on tobacco control, alcohol reduction, diet and physical activity.
  • Enhance regulations and protection against cancer-causing substances in the workplace and in the environment.
  • Improve quality and access to preventative screening programs, especially for early detection of cervical and breast cancers.
  • Improve the quality of radiotherapy services.
  • Expand access to cancer drugs and subsequent care.
  • Strengthen cancer information systems and registries.

Originally published on VOXXI as Cancer mortality declining in some Latin American countries

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Before You Go

Latinos And Health Insurance
Uninsured -- countrywide (01 of10)
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Nearly 33 percent of Hispanics under the age of 65 had no health coverage in 2010.Hispanics had the highest numbers of uninsured compared to blacks (22 percent), whites (14 percent) and others (19 percent) who lacked health insurance. (credit:Alamy)
States With Highest Numbers Of Uninsured Latinos (02 of10)
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Georgia: 45 percent of non elderly Hispanics are uninsured in the state of Georgia. Only 22 percent of the state's total population under age 65 is in the same situation. North Carolina: 49 percent of non elderly Hispanics are uninsured in the state of North Carolina. About 20 percent of North Carolina's population under age 65 is uninsured. Kentucky: 51 percent of non elderly Hispanics are uninsured in the state of Kentucky. The same is true for only 18 percent of the rest of the state's residents under age 65.South Carolina: 57 percent of non elderly Hispanics are uninsured in the state of South Carolina. Just 22 percent of the total non elderly population in South Carolina is uninsured. Source (credit:Alamy)
States With Lowest Numbers Of Uninsured Latinos (03 of10)
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Massachusetts: 9 percent of non elderly Hispanics are uninsured in the state of Massachusetts. 6 percent of the total non elderly population in Massachusetts is uninsured. Michigan: 16 percent of non elderly Hispanics are uninsured in the state of Michigan. About 15 percent of the total non elderly population in Michigan is also uninsured. Wisconsin: 20 percent of Latinos under age 65 are uninsured in the state of Wisconsin. About 11 percent of the total non elderly population in Wisconsin is uninsured. Pennsylvania: 22 percent of non elderly Hispanics are uninsured in Pennsylvania. Only 13 percent of the state's total non elderly population faces the same problem. Source (credit:Alamy)
Population Growth(04 of10)
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The U.S. Hispanic population surged 43%, rising to 50.5 million in 2010 from 35.3 million in 2000. Latinos constitute 16% of the nation's total population.The Pew Hispanic Center projects that nearly one in five Americans (19%) will be foreign born in 2050. And Latinos will represent 29 percent of the nation's population in 2050, accounting for almost one third of the entire country. Immigration will be the main factor for population growth. Of the 117 million people expected to join the U.S. population between 2005 to 2050, 67 million will be immigrants.Many of these immigrants are not eligible for government-sponsored or subsidized health care under The Affordable Care Act. (credit:Alamy)
Immigrants And Medicaid (05 of10)
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Medicaid provides essential coverage to vulnerable populations who might otherwise be uninsured. Latinos are about two times more likely than Whites to have coverage through Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP). But immigrants are less likely to have access to employer-sponsored health insurance.Legal immigrants can enroll in Medicaid, CHIP only after they have been in the country for five years, while undocumented immigrants are barred from government insurance programs altogether, according to The Daily Beast. (credit:Alamy)
Who Are Most Likely To Be Uninsured? (06 of10)
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Uninsured adults are more common than children without health insurance, but Latino kids are more than two times more likely than White children to be uninsured.Nearly 50 percent of Latino children are enrolled in Medicaid (CHIP ). However, Latino children represent the largest portion of (39.1 percent) American children who are eligible for but not enrolled in these programs. (credit:Alamy)
Leading Causes Of Death In The Latino Community In The U.S. :(07 of10)
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1.Heart disease2.Cancer3.Unintentional injuries4.Stroke 5.Diabetes6.Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis7.Chronic lower respiratory disease8.Homicide9.Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period, the months just before and after birth.10.Influenza and pneumoniaSource (credit:Alamy)
Diabetes And Health Care Coverage (08 of10)
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The Affordable Care Act allows for easier and more affordable treatment for chronic diseases.Insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to children under 19 due to a pre-existing condition and people who can not find affordable private coverage but earn too much for the now expanded Medicaid program or government insurance subsidies will be eligible for government-run high risk insurance pools.As diabetes disproportionately affects Hispanics in the United States, the ability to secure affordable coverage with a pre-existing condition is important. According to a CDC investigation Hispanics have double the risk of developing diabetes compared with non-Hispanic whites and they tend to develop diabetes at a younger age.Latino children and youth under 20 years of age diagnosed with diabetes is growing at an alarming rate -- the fastest of any ethnic group in the U.S. (credit:Alamy)
Costs (09 of10)
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In 2008, Hispanics made up nearly 16 percent of U.S. residents but but accounted for less than 10 percent of the nation's total health care costs. (credit:Alamy)
Health Care -- Political Implications(10 of10)
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U.S. Hispanics prioritize immigration, healthcare, and unemployment to equal degrees, according to a June Gallup Poll . However, a slight majority of Hispanic registered voters (21 percent) identified healthcare as the most important issue when it comes to casting their vote. (credit:Alamy)
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