Global burden of cancer among women of child-bearing age from 1990 to 2021: insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background： Malignant neoplasm is one of the leading durden of diseases worldwide, particularly among women of child-bearing age (WCBA) with a significant higher incidence rate than their male counterparts. This study aimed to assess the burden and trend of cancers among WCBA from 1990 to 2021. Methods: This study retrieved data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021 on the incidence, prevalence, and disability adjusted life-years (DALYs) of 30 cancers among WCBA from 1990 to 2021. Estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC) and percentage change, by age and socio-demographic index (SDI), were calculated to quantify the temporal trends. Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine the correlation between burdens and SDI. Results: Our results showed that breast, cervical, ovarian, colon/rectum, thyroid, uterine, tracheal/bronchus/lung, brain/central nervous system (CNS), stomach, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, and malignant skin melanoma had the highest global incidence rates respectively among WCBA in 2021. From 1990 to 2021, the incidence and prevalence rates of colon/rectum, thyroid, and brain/CNS cancers showed an upward trend, while the burdens of stomach cancer and leukemia significantly declined. In terms of SDI regions, the high and high-middle SDI regions had higher DALYs rstes of colon/rectum, brain/CNS, tracheal/bronchus/lung, and melanoma, the middle SDI regions had higher DALYs rstes of stomach cancer and leukemia, and the low SDI regions had higher DALYs rstes of thyroid cancers and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Age distribution analysis indicated that the burden of major cancers increased with age, peaking in the 45 to 49 age group. Conclusion: This study reveals the global and regional distribution characteristics of cancer burden among WCBA and highlights the important impact of socio-economic factors on cancer burden. The findings provide a scientific basis for developing cancer prevention and control strategies, especially in high burden regions and specific age groups.