Global burden and trends of ovarian cancer attributable to occupational exposure to asbestos: A study based on 1990-2019 GBD data.

Background Ovarian cancer remains a major health issue, with occupational asbestos exposure possibly contributing to its risk. We comprehensively assess the global burden of asbestos-related ovarian cancer, explore disparities, and project future trends to inform prevention strategies. Methods We evaluated deaths and disease-adjusted life years (DALYs) globally in 2019, analyzed temporal trends (1990–2019), and used the age-period-cohort (APC) model and the Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model to predict future burdens. Decomposition analysis identified drivers of burden change, and frontier analysis assessed the correlation with socio-demographic development. Results In 2019, occupational exposure to asbestos was a significant contributor to the substantial burden of ovarian cancer, exhibiting considerable disparities across age groups, Socio-demographic Index (SDI) regions, Global Burden of Disease (GBD) regions, and countries. Despite a global trend of declining age-standardized rates (ASRs) between 1990 and 2019, the absolute number of deaths and DALYs associated with asbestos-related ovarian cancer continued to rise. The APC model predicted a steady escalation in the number of deaths and DALYs from 2019 to 2030 while forecasting a decrease in the ASRs. However, contrasting results emerged from the BAPC model, which indicates that both the number of deaths and DALYs, as well as their ASRs, are anticipated to decline. Furthermore, the frontier analysis suggested that countries with higher SDI scores exhibit greater potential for reducing the disease burden. Our decomposition analysis revealed that aging and population growth were the primary drivers of the increasing disease burden, whereas epidemiological change exerted a negative influence. Conclusions Occupational exposure to asbestos is a substantial contributor to the disease burden of ovarian cancer. Success with reducing asbestos occupational exposure through regulatory policy might point the way for a stronger role for public policy on other risks in addition to continued efforts to provide information on risk factor harm to the general public.