The Urban Divide: Socioeconomic Status and Its Impact on Cancer in the Age of Urbanization

Against accelerating global urbanization, we analyzed regional cancer health disparities in Japan using nationwide cancer incidence and mortality data. This cross-sectional ecological study included 1889 Japanese municipalities, categorized as urban, suburban, and rural. Using 2015 Census data, we estimated the normalized Areal Deprivation Index (normADI) and, using 2016-2018 cancer registry and vital statistics data, estimated standardized incidence and mortality ratios with a fully Bayesian hierarchical spatial model (FBSIR/FBSMR). We examined their association by urbanicity, analyzing 3,056,535 incident cases and 1,140,250 deaths. Higher normADI was associated with increased FBSMR for all cancers, particularly in urban areas (risk ratio 1.18 for males; 1.12 for females).

Mortality of stomach, colorectal, lung, and liver cancers increased with increasing deprivation in urban areas, with stronger effects for male colorectal, liver, and lung cancers as urbanicity increased. Sensitivity analyses using alternative modeling formulations, both spatial and non-spatial, yielded broadly similar results. The greater impact of ADI on cancer mortality in urban areas underscores the need for poverty-focused cancer prevention strategies with growing urban populations.