Lecture 4

Question 1

How many cancer cases and deaths were there globally in 2020?

Answer 1

19.3 million cases and 10 million deaths.

Question 2

What percentage of all global deaths in 2017 were due to cancer?

Answer 2

18%, second only to cardiovascular disease.

Question 3

What were the top 3 most diagnosed cancers in 2020 globally?

Answer 3

Breast (11.7%), lung (11.4%), colorectal (10%).

Question 4

What were the top 3 causes of cancer death in 2020 globally?

Answer 4

Lung (18%), colorectal (9.4%), liver (8.3%).

Question 5

What do age-standardised cancer incidence rates account for?

Answer 5

They assume a standard population structure for comparing between regions or countries

Question 6

Which 3 cancers have the highest global incidence?

Answer 6

Breast, prostate, and lung

Question 7

What are the main risk factors for breast cancer?

Answer 7

Genetics, radiation, alcohol, obesity

Question 8

What is the main cause of cervical cancer?

Answer 8

HPV (Human Papillomavirus)

Question 9

Name 3 main risk factors for liver cancer

Answer 9

Hepatitis B, hepatitis C, alcohol, and schistosomiasis

Question 10

What is the principal risk factor for lung cancer?

Answer 10

Tobacco use, asbestos, air pollution

Question 11

What are the key risk factors for colorectal cancer?

Answer 11

Diet and alcohol

Question 12

What is the main environmental risk for skin cancer?

Answer 12

UVA/UVB exposure (sunlight)

Question 13

What proportion of cancers in the UK are preventable?

Answer 13

4 in 10 cancers

Question 14

What percentage of cancers are due to smoking in the UK?

Answer 14

15%

Question 15

What other key preventable factors contribute to cancer in the UK?

Answer 15

Radiation/occupational exposures (9%), obesity (6%), diet (5%), alcohol (3%)

Question 16

How many deaths per year are linked to tobacco?

Answer 16

Around 5 million

Question 17

What percentage of smokers will die from tobacco-related causes?

Answer 17

50%–66%

Question 18

In which age group do half of tobacco-related deaths occur?

Answer 18

Between 35 and 69 years

Question 19

How many cancer deaths are attributable to alcohol annually?

Answer 19

330,000

Question 20

Which cancers have strong causal links with alcohol (IARC)?

Answer 20

Liver, mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus (strong); colorectum and breast (moderate)

Question 21

Globally, what % of cancers are due to alcohol?

Answer 21

3.6% overall – 5.2% in men, 1.7% in women

Question 22

Which region has the highest alcohol consumption?

Answer 22

Eastern Europe: 12.2 L per person/year

Question 23

Which region has the lowest?

Answer 23

Eastern Mediterranean: 0.7 L per person/year

Question 24

What % of cervical cancer occurs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)?

Answer 24

85%

Question 25

What types of HPV cause 70% of cervical cancers?

Answer 25

HPV types 16 and 18

Question 26

How much does hepatitis B increase the risk of liver cancer?

Answer 26

Over 100-fold

Question 27

What viral protein inactivates p53 in liver cells, contributing to cancer?

Answer 27

HBx (Hepatitis B virus X protein)

Question 28

How much higher is Australia’s skin cancer rate compared to Europe?

Answer 28

Over 10 times higher

Question 29

What phenotype is at highest risk for melanoma?

Answer 29

People with blue eyes, pale skin, and red hair

Question 30

What % of UK cancers are from radiation/occupational exposure?

Answer 30

9% (11.5% in men, 7.2% in women)

Question 31

What % of melanoma is due to UV radiation?

Answer 31

87%

Question 32

What % of mesothelioma is due to occupational asbestos exposure?

Answer 32

94%

Question 33

How does cancer incidence change with age?

Answer 33

It rises dramatically due to accumulated risks

Question 34

What age group in the UK accounts for over half of new cancer cases?

Answer 34

Adults aged 50–74

Question 35

Why is cancer incidence expected to increase globally?

Answer 35

Due to population ageing, especially in LMICs

Question 36

How does breast cancer incidence compare across ethnicities in the UK?

Answer 36

Lower in South Asian and Black women than White women

Question 37

What explains these ethnic differences in breast cancer incidence?

Answer 37

Differences in risk factors like BMI, alcohol, reproductive history, hormone use, and family history

Question 38

Name 3 key cancer control strategies

Answer 38

HBV vaccination, HPV immunization, increased tobacco tax and warnings

Question 39

What screening strategy helps with cervical cancer prevention?

Answer 39

Opportunistic screening and school-based HPV vaccination

Question 40

What is the trend in global cancer cases over the next 20 years?

Answer 40

Expected increase across all types due to ageing populations

Question 41

Which countries will experience the most growth in cancer cases?

Answer 41

Low- and middle-income countries

Question 42

Which cancers have the highest incidence in men and women?

Answer 42

Men – prostate and lung; Women – breast

Question 43

What trend is observed in lung cancer in high-income countries?

Answer 43

Decline, due to reduced smoking rates