Cancer-free Societies? A Scan Around the World

10.21.2024 0 comments

Author: Trisha Houghton, CNS, ASIST

Cancer is an ever-growing problem in our modern world.

Though it has been around for centuries—dating as far back as 3,000 B.C. [1]—it’s chiefly in the last few decades that it has become a more widespread and serious problem.

What’s interesting is that the problem is graver in some parts of the world, where others are less affected. Why is that, you might ask?

That’s what this blog post intends to examine…

Below, we’ll take a look at the countries most affected by cancer, as well as the countries least affected, and compare the two. We’ll look at cultural, dietary, and environmental factors, among others, and see if we can’t figure out some common thread that links these lower-cancer societies.

By the end of this page, we’ll all have a clearer understanding about why certain societies around the world have higher or lower cancer rates than others.

Cancer Around the Globe

Societies with the Highest Cancer Rates

According to World Cancer Research Fund International [2], there were just under 20 million new cancer cases diagnosed in 2022. That comes out to just under 200 people per every 100,000. Men tended to have a significantly higher rate of cancer than women (212 vs. 186 per 100,000).

Non-melanoma skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer—roughly 1.2 out of that 20 million.

Accounting for non-melanoma skin cancer, Australia had the highest cancer rates in the world—around 462 people per 100,000 had cancer. New Zealand followed close on its heels with 427 per 100,000.

Removing non-melanoma skin cancer from the equation, Denmark proved to have the highest global cancer rates—around 350 per 100,000.

Other countries with high cancer rates (above 300 per 100,000) included the USA, France, Norway, the Netherlands and Ireland.

China had the highest number of cases—around 4.8 million—but due to their high population, that only numbered around 200 per 100,000.

However, the USA had the second highest number of cases—around 2.4 million—but with only a fraction of China’s population.

For number of cases, India, Japan, and Russia followed close behind.

Societies with the Lowest Cancer Rates

In terms of case numbers alone, the countries with the lowest cancer rates are:

• Sao Tome and Principe
• Vanuatu
• Samoa
• Belize
• Guam
• Cape Verde
• Saint Lucia
• Maldives

These all have fewer than 500 cancer deaths per year.

However, because of their low population, some of them have a significantly higher cancer rate per person—for example, Samoa only had 400 cancer cases in 2022, but at a rate of 240 per 100,000 people.

According to the World Health Organization [3], the countries with the lowest cancer rates by population are:

• Sierra Leone
• Angola
• Gambia
• Nepal
• Qatar
• Yemen
• Rwanda
• Niger
• Timor Leste

These all have under 100 cases per 100,000 people.

India and Mexico have the lowest cancer death rates in the world [4].

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What Do These Lower-Rate Societies Have in Common?

Taking a look at the countries with both the fewest number of cancer cases and the lowest cancer rates by population, a few common factors become abundantly clear:

• Lower exposure to environmental pollution. Island countries may have some pollution, but nowhere near the scale prevalent in countries like the U.S. and China. The same goes for developing African nations.
• Higher rates of activity. Many of the societies with lower cancer rates have more activity out of sheer necessity. A large percentage of the population travels on foot or spend more time engaged in farming, animal husbandry, forestry, and other activities that facilitate their daily lives. Some countries—such as Samoa or Belize—emphasize team and recreational sports.
• Plant-forward diets. While most of the countries with lower cancer rates do eat at least some meat, many of them are more plant-forward. Nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes tend to comprise the majority of the diets in these countries.
• Less artificial and processed food. Modern food production and distribution methods make it nearly impossible to totally avoid all processed and artificial foods. Junk food is made in and imported into even these countries from around the world. However, the amount of processed/artificial food included in the average person’s diet in these countries is significantly lower than in modern countries like the United States, Australia, and China.
• Lower genetic risk. Genetics play a role in certain types of cancers (as with many other diseases). In countries that historically have higher rates of certain cancers, genetics will conspire to keep those rates high. The countries with lower cancer rates will usually have lower rates of those cancers affected by genetics, so there is less risk passed on generation to generation.
• Lower stress societies. While stress exists everywhere around the world, many of the societies on the lower end of the cancer rate spectrum live a slower-paced, lower-stress life.
• Lower tobacco consumption. Mexico has a tobacco consumption rate of around 13%, while countries like France (which have higher cancer rates and cancer mortality rates) have nearly double the consumption.
• Lower occupational risk. Countries with lower cancer rates tend to have lower occupational risk (handling fewer chemicals/cancer-causing substances) than those with higher cancer rates. People are less likely to be exposed to radiation and cancer-causing substances at work.
• Lower UV exposure and damage. In Australia and New Zealand, rates of non-melanoma skin cancer are off the charts because of high UV exposure caused by damage to the ozone layer. However, countries with lower rates of cancer typically have lower UV exposure—though not necessarily sun exposure. Darker skin tones (caused by higher melanin levels) among the countries with lower cancer rates also contribute to protecting against skin cancers.
• Early diagnosis and cancer management guidelines. Mexico, for example, has multiple programs set up to screen for cancer (i.e., breast, colon, and cervical cancer) and stringent guidelines for managing cancer treatment and cases. India also prioritizes early cancer detection, which seems to be a significant factor in reducing mortality rates. Cancer discovered early is more manageable and treatable.
• Diagnostic Capabilities. Lastly, in some case, there is also a possibility that difference in cancer rates between the low and high occurrence regions may be partly attributed to disparities in diagnostic capabilities. In regions with limited access to healthcare, cancers may go undetected or be diagnosed at later stages, lowering reported rates

The Conclusion

After taking a closer look at all of these factors, it’s easy to see why some countries have lower cancer rates than others. Everything from dietary to environmental to healthcare factors can influence both cancer prevalence and mortality.

What does this mean for you? Well, it’s actually pretty simple: no matter where you live, there are ways you can reduce your cancer risk.

Take a look at the factors listed above. Some of them—for example, environmental pollution—may be a problem you can do little about (without moving away from industrialized areas, which isn’t always possible). Others, however, are much more feasible.

• Wear sunscreen to protect your skin against UV damage.
• Eat a healthy, natural, plant-forward diet that involves as little artificial and processed food as possible.
• Be more active in your daily life.
• Lower stress.
• Eliminate (or reduce) tobacco consumption.
• Get proactive with frequent cancer screenings to catch any problems early.

If you can start doing these things now, you will have a far better chance of reducing your risk of developing cancer. You may never fully protect yourself against it—sadly, cancer can develop in even the healthiest body, that’s just how aggressive it can be—but you create the best internal and external environment for a cancer-free life.

Resources:  

[1] www.cancer.org/cancer/understanding-cancer/history-of-cancer/what-is-cancer.html

[2] https://www.wcrf.org/cancer-trends/global-cancer-data-by-country/

[3] worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/cancer-rates-by-country

[4] www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/cancer-rates-by-country#lowest-cancer-rates

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