177P - Burden of stomach cancer attributable to smoking in South Asia from 1990-2019, its projection of deaths to 2040: A benchmarking and comparative analysis

Background

Stomach cancer (SC) ranks as the 3^rd leading cause of death among all cancer-related fatalities in the South Asia (SA) region. The complex interplay of cultural, lifestyle, and demographic factors in SA compounds the challenge to public health posed by the significant burden of stomach cancer.

Methods

Using the Global Burden of Disease framework, this study examined deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributed to SC caused by smoking by age, sex, and year across the 5 countries of the SA region from 1990-2019. Additionally, projections for the number of deaths up to 2040 were derived through regression analysis.

Results

The total count of deaths attributed to SC due to smoking witnessed an increase from 6,948 (95%UI: 4,963-8,890) in 1990 to 9,353 (95%UI: 6,632-12,325) in 2019. Concurrently, DALYs rose from 177,675 (95%UI: 124,165-232,327) in 1990 to 222,290 (95%UI: 149,831-299,787) in 2019. Assessing the annual percentage of change (APC), the Age-Standardized Mortality Rate (ASMR) experienced a decline of 49% from 1990-2019. Among the SA countries, Nepal exhibited the highest APC increase in total deaths at 76%, followed by Bhutan at 73%, India at 40%, Pakistan at 20%, and Bangladesh at 13% from 1990-2019. Conversely, the APC increase in DALYs was greatest in Nepal at 51%, while Bangladesh reported the lowest increase at 3% during the same period. Notably, the age group of 65-69 years recorded the highest number of deaths (1,555), while the age group of 60-64 years experienced the highest DALYs (37,194) in 2019. In terms of gender disparities, males bore a higher burden of stomach cancer attributable to smoking compared to females over the past three decades. The study's projections indicate an estimated 3,952 deaths (95%UI: 2,036-6,347) by the year 2040.

Conclusions

While notable advancements have been made in the management of SC, the burden attributed to smoking continues to rise over the last 3 decades. This accounts for 9.44% of deaths among the overall causes of SC-related fatalities. It emphasizes the importance of comprehensive tobacco control strategies to mitigate this burden, considering the diverse social, economic, and cultural factors unique to the region.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

The authors.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.