In 2020, bladder cancer (BC) was the seventh most prevalent cancer in the world, with
5-year prevalence of more than 1.7 million cases. Due to the main risk factors-smoking
and chemical exposures-associated with BC, it is considered a largely preventable
and avoidable cancer. An overview of BC mortality can allow an insight not only into
the prevalence of global risk factors, but also into the varying efficiency of healthcare
systems worldwide. For this purpose, this study analyzes the national mortality estimates
for 2020 and projected future trends up to 2040.Age-standardized mortality rates per
100,000 person-years of BC for 185 countries by sex were obtained from the GLOBOCAN
2020 database, operated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Mortality rates were stratified according to sex and Human Development Index (HDI).
BC deaths were projected up to 2040 on the basis of demographic changes, alongside
different scenarios of annually increasing, stable or decreasing mortality rates from
the baseline year of 2020.In 2020, nearly three times more men died from BC than women,
with more than 210,000 deaths in both sexes combined, worldwide. Regardless of gender,
more than half of the total BC deaths were from countries with a very high HDI. According
to our projections, while the number of deaths for men can only increase up to 54%
(from 159 to around 163-245 thousand), for women it is projected to increase two-
to three-fold (from 50 to around 119-176 thousand) by 2040. The burden of BC mortality
in countries with a very high HDI versus high HDI appears to converge by 2040 for
both sexes.Opposite mortality trends by gender highlight the urgent need for immediate
interventions to expand anti-tobacco strategies, especially for women. The implementation
of more strict occupational health and safety regulations could also prevent exposures
associated with BC. Improving the ability to detect BC earlier and access to treatment
can have a significant positive impact on reducing mortality rates, minimizing economic
costs, and enhancing the quality of life for patients.
