Benchmarking life expectancy and cancer mortality: global comparison with cardiovascular disease 1981–2010

A new study coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and published today in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) assesses the global impact of cancer compared with cardiovascular disease (CVD) on changes in life expectancy. Using data from 52 populations included in the World Health Organization Mortality Database over the period 1981–2010, the study shows that declining cancer mortality rates were responsible for up to 20% of the overall gains in life expectancy at ages 40–84 years. Declining CVD mortality rates had the greatest impact and were responsible for more than 50% of the overall gains experienced.

Cao B, Bray F, Beltrán-Sánchez H, Ginsburg O, Soneji S, Soerjomataram I
Benchmarking life expectancy and cancer mortality: global comparison with cardiovascular disease 1981–2010
BMJ. Published online 22 June 2017; http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j2765

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