Global burden of lip and oral cavity cancer attributable to high alcohol consumption from 1990 to 2021

Based on data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021, a study analysed the global disease burden of lip and oral cavity cancer attributable to high alcohol consumption (LOC-HAC). The study assessed health loss using DALYs, analysed contributing factors with the Das Gupta method, and projected disease burden trends to 2045 using the Nordpred model. In 2021, the global number of DALY cases for LOC-HAC was 1,191,084 (95% UI: 906,229.2–1,474,007), representing a 90% increase from 628,484.1 (95% UI: 493,522.1–754,895.3) in 1990. The fastest growth occurred in low-middle SDI regions, reaching 279%. A similar increasing trend was observed in deaths, with Southeast Asia showing the most significant rise, where DALYs and deaths increased by 326% and 357%, respectively. The global age-standardised DALY rate (ASDR) of LOC-HAC in 2021 was 13.66 (95% UI: 10.4–16.9) per 100,000 population, with Central Europe having the highest ASDR and Southeast Asia experiencing the fastest growth. DALYs and deaths were significantly higher in males than in females and increased with age, peaking at 55–59 years in males and 60–64 years in females. SDI levels were positively correlated with ASDR and age-standardised mortality rates (ASMR); however, when the SDI exceeded 0.75, ASDR and ASMR showed a declining trend. Over the past 32 years, the global increase in DALYs and deaths has been primarily driven by population ageing and growth. Projections indicate that from 2022 to 2045, DALYs and deaths among males will rise significantly, whereas the increase among females will be more gradual. The global burden of lip and oral cavity cancer attributable to high alcohol consumption has significantly increased over the past decades, especially in low-middle SDI regions and Southeast Asia. In the future, efforts should focus on these regions by promoting healthier lifestyles, strengthening early screening, and optimising healthcare resource allocation to reduce disease burden.
Source: Pang, S., Duan, W., Chen, W., Lu, L. (2025). Global burden of lip and oral cavity cancer attributable to high alcohol consumption from 1990 to 2021. Frontiers of Nutrition, 12:1648788.