Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers were responsible for 26.3% of cancer cases and 35.4% of deaths worldwide in 2018. This study aimed to analyze the global incidence, mortality, prevalence, and contributing risk factors of the 6 major GI cancer entities [esophageal cancer (EC), gastric cancer (GC), liver cancer (LC), pancreatic cancer (PC), colon cancer, and rectal cancer]. Methods: Using the Global Cancer Observatory and the Global Health Observatory databases, we reviewed the current GI cancer incidence, prevalence, and mortality, analyzed the association of GI cancer prevalence with national human development indices (HDIs), identified the contributing risk factors, and estimated developing age‐ and sex‐specific trends in incidence and mortality. Results: In 2020, the trend in age‐standardized rate of incidence of GI cancers closely mirrored that of mortality, with the highest rates of LC, EC, and GC in Asia and of colorectal cancer (CRC) and PC mainly in Europe. Incidence and mortality were positively, but the mortality‐to‐incidence ratio (MIR) was inversely correlated with the national HDI levels. High MIRs in developing countries likely reflected the lack of preventive strategies and effective treatments. GI cancer prevalence was highest in Europe and was also positively correlated with HDIs and lifestyle‐associated risk factors, such as alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity, insufficient physical activity, and high blood cholesterol level, but negatively correlated with hypertension and diabetes. Incidences of EC were consistently and those of GC mostly decreasing, whereas incidences of CRC were increasing in most countries/regions, especially in the younger populations. Incidences of LC and PC were also increasing in all age‐gender populations except for younger males. Mortalities were decreasing for EC, GC, and CRC in most countries/regions, and age‐specific trends were observed in PC and LC with a decrease in the younger but an increase in the older population. Conclusions: On the global scale, higher GI cancer burden was accompanied, for the most part, by factors associated with the so‐called Western lifestyle reflected by high and very high national HDI levels. In countries/regions with very high HDI levels, patients survived longer, and increasing GI cancer cases were observed with increasing national HDI levels. Optimizing GI cancer prevention and improving therapies, especially for patients with comorbid metabolic diseases, are thus urgently recommended.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment and patient survival improved greatly. Consequently an increased incidence of non‐cancer‐related deaths is observed. This study analyzed the causes of non‐cancer death for people suffering from CRC based on the year of diagnosis, follow‐up time, and patient's age.Methods: The data from patients diagnosed with CRC in the years 2000–2016 were taken from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 18 database. Patients were categorized according to: death from CRC, non‐CRC cancer, and non‐cancer. Constituent ratios and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated to describe the death causes distribution and relative death risks.Results: Between 2000 and 2016, a stable and rapid drop for the original diagnosis as death cause for CRC patients was observed (70.19% to 49.35%). This was coupled to an increase in non‐cancer‐associated death reasons (23.38% to 40.00%). The most common non‐cancer death cause was heart disease, especially for elderly patients. However, deaths from accidents and adverse effects were frequent in younger CRC patients. Patients died from septicemia more often within the first follow‐up year; however, a 6‐fold increase in death from Alzheimer's disease was found for after at least 180 months follow‐up time.The SMRs of all 25 non‐cancer death causes initially decreased in all CRC subgroups, followed by an increase with follow‐up times. Gradually decreasing SMR values were observed with increasing age of CRC patients.Conclusions: These findings could help modify and sharpen preventive measures and clinical management and raise physician's awareness to potential non‐CRC death risk factors for CRC patients.

Recent advances in diagnosis and treatment of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms

Background: We aimed to evaluate the incidence, mortality and survival outcome for patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (pNEN). Methods: Patients with pNEN were collected from the Surv... Lay abstract An increasing number of US patients have been identified in recent years (2000–2016) with cancer of the pancreas of the neuroendocrine type. Interestingly, this is especially true for ...

Clinical utilization of curcumin in colorectal cancer (CRC) was revived as a result of the development of novel curcumin formulations with improved bioavailability. Additionally, identification of biomarkers for curcumin sensitivity would also promote successful clinical applications. Here, we wanted to identify such biomarkers in order to establish a predictive model for curcumin sensitivity. Thirty-two low-passage CRC cell lines with specified tumor characteristics were included. Curcumin suppressed cell proliferation, yet sensitivity levels were distinct. Most curcumin-sensitive CRC cell lines were microsatellite stable and expressed high levels of IκBα. The predictive capacity of this biomarker combination possessed a statistical significance of 72% probability to distinguish correctly between curcumin-sensitive and -resistant CRC cell lines. Detailed functional analyses were performed with three sensitive and three resistant CRC cell lines. As curcumin’s mode of action, inhibition of NF-κB p65 activation via IκBα was identified. In consequence, we hypothesize that novel curcumin formulations—either alone or, more likely, in combination with standard therapeutics—can be expected to prove clinically beneficial for CRC patients with high IκBα expression levels.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) ranks among the most lethal malignant neoplasms, primarily due to its late-stage diagnosis and lack of available therapeutic modalities. This study aimed to characterise the current PC epidemiological profiles, lifestyle-related contributors, and projections to unveil its global disease burden. Using 2022 data from the Global Cancer Observatory (GCO), we estimated PC incidence, mortality, 5-year prevalence, and mortality-incidence-ratio. Modifiable risk factors were extracted from the Global Health Observatory to identify its predictive model. The temporal trends were assessed via estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) stratified by age and gender, and the future projection was also collected from GCO, 2022–2050, estimated number of new cases and deaths data. In 2022, Northern America and Europe had the highest PC burden, with males consistently affected more than females. Alarmingly, a concerning increase in PC mortality was observed among older females. Projections indicate an 85–91% increase in elderly PC cases by 2050, with Asia facing the greatest challenge (487 087 estimated new cases) and Africa being estimated with the fastest mortality growth (159.2%). Strong positive correlations were observed between PC prevalence and human development index (HDI), as well as lifestyle factors e.g. raised total cholesterol (correlation coefficient (r) = 0.695, P < 0.001), cigarette smoking (r = 0.528, P < 0.001), and alcohol drinking (r = 0.505, P < 0.001). This research underlines the urgent need for region-specific interventions, not only for Northern America and Europe, which currently bear a high PC burden, but also for high-risk populations like Asia and Africa. The projected 85–91% rise in elderly PC cases by 2050, coupled with emerging risks in young females (incidence rose in n/N = 39/52 countries), demands prioritised research on modifiable factors and sex-tailored prevention strategies. These discoveries call for global action to mitigate the escalating PC burden through demographic-targeted public health measures.