The Rise of Gastrointestinal Cancers as a Global Phenomenon: Unhealthy Behavior or Progress?

Silvia Rodrigues Jardim, Lucila Marieta Perrotta de Souza and Heitor Siffert Pereira de Souza ()
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Silvia Rodrigues Jardim: Division of Worker’s Health, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22290-140, RJ, Brazil
Lucila Marieta Perrotta de Souza: Departamento de Clínica Médica, Hospital Universitário, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Prof. Rodolpho Paulo Rocco 255, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro 21941-913, RJ, Brazil
Heitor Siffert Pereira de Souza: Departamento de Clínica Médica, Hospital Universitário, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Prof. Rodolpho Paulo Rocco 255, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro 21941-913, RJ, Brazil

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 4, 1-23

Abstract: The overall burden of cancer is rapidly increasing worldwide, reflecting not only population growth and aging, but also the prevalence and spread of risk factors. Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, including stomach, liver, esophageal, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers, represent more than a quarter of all cancers. While smoking and alcohol use are the risk factors most commonly associated with cancer development, a growing consensus also includes dietary habits as relevant risk factors for GI cancers. Current evidence suggests that socioeconomic development results in several lifestyle modifications, including shifts in dietary habits from local traditional diets to less-healthy Western diets. Moreover, recent data indicate that increased production and consumption of processed foods underlies the current pandemics of obesity and related metabolic disorders, which are directly or indirectly associated with the emergence of various chronic noncommunicable conditions and GI cancers. However, environmental changes are not restricted to dietary patterns, and unhealthy behavioral features should be analyzed with a holistic view of lifestyle. In this review, we discussed the epidemiological aspects, gut dysbiosis, and cellular and molecular characteristics of GI cancers and explored the impact of unhealthy behaviors, diet, and physical activity on developing GI cancers in the context of progressive societal changes.

Keywords: gastrointestinal cancers; lifestyle; syndemic; behavior; societal determinants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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