Estimates of Cancer Mortality Attributable to Carcinogenic Infections in Italy

Pietro Ferrara, Sara Conti, Fernando Agüero, Luciana Albano, Cristina Masuet-Aumatell, Josep Maria Ramon-Torrell and Lorenzo Giovanni Mantovani
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Pietro Ferrara: Center for Public Health Research, University of Milan—Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
Sara Conti: Center for Public Health Research, University of Milan—Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
Fernando Agüero: Preventive Medicine Department, University Hospital of Bellvitge—IDIBELL, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
Luciana Albano: Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy
Cristina Masuet-Aumatell: Preventive Medicine Department, University Hospital of Bellvitge—IDIBELL, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
Josep Maria Ramon-Torrell: Preventive Medicine Department, University Hospital of Bellvitge—IDIBELL, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
Lorenzo Giovanni Mantovani: Center for Public Health Research, University of Milan—Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 23, 1-10

Abstract: Several infectious agents are ascertained causes of cancer, but the burden of cancer mortality attributable to carcinogenic infections in Italy is 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 the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Population attributable fractions related to these agents were applied to annual statistics of cancer deaths coded according to the 10th International Classification of Diseases. The estimated burden of cancer mortality attributable to carcinogenic infections in Italy during the period 2011–2015 was 8.7% of all cancer deaths registered yearly, on average. Approximately 60% of deaths occurred in men, and almost the whole burden was due to four infectious agents ( Helicobacter pylori , hepatitis C virus, high-risk human papillomavirus, and hepatitis B virus). 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 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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