Cancer status in the Occupied Palestinian Territories: types; incidence; mortality; sex, age, and geography distribution; and possible causes

What is it about?

Cancer is a disease in which some cells of the body grow uncontrollably and occasionally spread to other parts of the body. With a group of more than 100 different types, cancer can start almost anywhere in the body. Defective cells may form a mass called a tumor which can be cancerous (malignant), which grows and spreads to other parts of the body, or benign that can grow but not spread throughout the body. In 2021, more than 10 million people died of cancer worldwide (1 out of 6 deaths). This paper has thoroughly investigated the cancer status in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), in terms of its various types; incidence; mortality; sex, age, and geography distribution; and potential causes. In the OPT, with a population of 5.35 million, cancer mortality was 14% in 2016, being the second cause of death after cardiovascular diseases accounting 30.6% of all causes of death. Cancer mortality in the OPT increased by 136% from 2000 to 2016, and by 14% from 2016 to 2020. In addition to other types of cancer in the OPT, its main types are lung (highest in males), breast (highest in females), colorectal (highest in both sexes), and leukemia (highest in children). The high rates of different types of cancer in the OPT can be attributed to various causes, including those related to environmental pollution, nutrition, stress, and lifestyle factors (smoking, lack of activity, increased dependence on technologies, etc.), whereas only 10–30% of cancer cases are attributed to genetics.

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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research paper is the first of its kind, as it has comprehensively investigated the cancer status in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip). It has investigated the various kinds of cancer in the OPT, and compared them with incidence and death rates of cancer in other regions and countries, such as USA, Canada, India, Japan, Europe, Africa, and Arab region, including the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). The paper indicated that cancer, with its various types, is the most deadly cause in some regions of the world, and is the second reason of death in the OPT. Cancer diseases, in general, are shown to be the second leading cause of death in the OPT at 14%, and is only surpassed by heart (cardiovascular) diseases at 30%.