Ferrara, P.; Conti, S.; Agüero, F.; Albano, L.; Masuet-Aumatell, C.; Ramon-Torrell, J.M.; Mantovani, L.G. Estimates of Cancer Mortality Attributable to Carcinogenic Infections in Italy. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health2020, 17, 8723.
Ferrara, P.; Conti, S.; Agüero, F.; Albano, L.; Masuet-Aumatell, C.; Ramon-Torrell, J.M.; Mantovani, L.G. Estimates of Cancer Mortality Attributable to Carcinogenic Infections in Italy. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 8723.
Ferrara, P.; Conti, S.; Agüero, F.; Albano, L.; Masuet-Aumatell, C.; Ramon-Torrell, J.M.; Mantovani, L.G. Estimates of Cancer Mortality Attributable to Carcinogenic Infections in Italy. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health2020, 17, 8723.
Ferrara, P.; Conti, S.; Agüero, F.; Albano, L.; Masuet-Aumatell, C.; Ramon-Torrell, J.M.; Mantovani, L.G. Estimates of Cancer Mortality Attributable to Carcinogenic Infections in Italy. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 8723.
Abstract
Several infectious agents are ascertained causes of cancer, but the burden of cancer mortality attributable to carcinogenic infections in Italy was still unknown. To tackle this issue, we calculated the rate and regional distribution of cancer deaths due to infections sustained by seven pathogens ranked as group-1 carcinogenic agents in humans by IARC. Population attributable fractions related to these agents were applied to annual statistics of cancer deaths coded according to 10th International Classification of Diseases. The estimated burden of cancer mortality attributable to carcinogenic infections in Italy during the period 2011-2015 was on average 8.7% of all cancer deaths registered yearly. Approximately 60% of deaths occurred in men and almost the whole burden was due to four infectious agents (Helicobacter pylori, HCV, HPV, and HBV). The analysis of regional distribution showed a higher number of infection-related cancer deaths in the northern regions, where the estimates reached 30 (Liguria) and 28 (Friuli Venezia Giulia) deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015. Since one-twelfth of cancer deaths were attributable to these modifiable risk factors, the implementation of appropriate prevention and treatment interventions may help to reduce the impact of these infections on cancer mortality.
Keywords
burden of cancer mortality; cancer epidemiology; cancer etiology; cancer prevention; carcinogenic infections; modifiable risk factors
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Immunology and Allergy
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
