Doctors Raise Alarm: Cancer Surge Linked to Crisis Trump Calls a Hoax in UAE

• READ MORE: Why global warming could shave six months off your life

Global warming might be contributing to increasing levels of cancer shock findings indicate in women.

Researchers in Egypt examined the incidence rates of breast, cervical, ovarian, and uterine cancers across 17 nations in the Middle East and correlated these with increasing temperature trends over time.

They discovered that for each one-degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) rise in temperature, instances of these four types of cancer rose by as much as 280 cases per 100,000 individuals during the past two decades.

Increased overall cases were most common in ovarian cancer, with an increase of 280 per 100,000 people, and least prevalent in breast cancer, with an increase of 173 per 100,000.

Deaths from all four cancers on average also rose by 171 to 332 deaths per 100,000 for each degree of temperature rise. The greatest rise in deaths was in ovarian cancer at 332 per 100,000, and the smallest was in cervical cancer at 171 per 100,000.

The researchers from the American University in Cairo mention that their study was observational and does not establish causation. However, they suggest Global warming might lead to higher levels of carcinogens, increasing people's exposure. like those caused by wildfires.

Severe weather occurrences like wildfires and hurricanes may also interfere with essential check-ups and cancer therapies, leading to a rise in both instances and fatalities of the disease.

Women are also thought to be more prone to these health effects from climate change, especially during pregnancy and menopause.

Dr. Wafa Abuelkheir from Mataria, who is the lead author of the study and a researcher at the American University in Cairo, stated: "With increasing temperatures, we see an uptick in cancer deaths among women, notably for ovarian and breast cancers."

Even though the increments for each degree of temperature increase are small, their overall effect on public health is significant.

Although the study focused solely on nations within the Middle East and North Africa, both the US and UK have similarly experienced the impacts of climate change along with rising incidences of certain female cancers.

Each year, breast cancer affects 330,000 women in the USA, marking an annual increase of one percent since 2012, as reported by the American Cancer Society.

Uterine or endometrial cancer rates have also increased about 0.6 percent per year from 2010 to 2019. The disease affects 69,000 US women and kills 14,000 every year.

Ovarian and cervical cancer rates have dropped by as much as two percent annually over the past ten years, primarily because of greater utilization of contraceptives and improved availability of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

In the UK Every 10 minutes, one woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, totaling approximately 55,000 cases annually.

In 2022, over 12,000 women succumbed to breast cancer, with statistics indicating that this number could rise above 17,000 by mid-century. World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

Ovarian cancer affects 7,500 women in the UK and kills 4,300, and uterine cancer affects 10,000 and kills 2,500. And each year 3,300 Brits are struck by cervical cancer and 850 lose their lives.

The findings also come after President Donald Trump axed 1,000 climate scientists from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), following a history of dismissing climate change as a hoax .

The research, released on Tuesday in the journal Frontiers in Public Health collected information on instances and fatalities related to breast, cervical, ovarian, and uterine cancers across 17 nations in the Middle East and North Africa region.

The countries featured in the research encompassed Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Palestine.

The team subsequently contrasted cancer statistics with fluctuating temperature patterns in every nation. The information gathered, sourced from online United Nations repositories, spanned the period from 1998 to 2019.

For each one-degree Celsius increase in temperature, the number of cases for these four types of cancer rose by anywhere from 173 to 280 extra instances per 100,000 individuals.

Ovarian cancer saw the largest rise with an additional 280 cases, whereas breast cancer showed the smallest increase with only 173 more cases.

Cancer deaths overall increased by 171 to 332 deaths per 100,000 for each degree of temperature rise. The greatest rise in deaths was in ovarian cancer, and the smallest was in cervical cancer.

The incidence of cancer and mortality rates rose along with temperature levels in six nations: Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Syria.

In Bahrain, breast cancer incidence climbed by 330 cases per 100,000 individuals, whereas in Qatar it surged to 560 cases and in the UAE, it reached 440 cases. Regarding mortality rates due to breast cancer, statistics show an increase of 420 deaths per 100,000 in Jordan, 550 per 100,000 in Qatar, 310 per 100,000 in Saudi Arabia, and 350 per 100,000 in the UAE with every rise in temperature measured in degrees Celsius.

The incidence of ovarian cancer rose in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE by 390, 460, 540, and 290 cases per 100,000 individuals, correspondingly, with the increase in temperature.

The number of deaths from ovarian cancer in those four nations increased to between 330 and 480 for every 100,000 people.

In Bahrain, Qatar, and Syria, cervical cancer cases rose by 380, 510, and 250 instances per 100,000 people, correspondingly. The mortality rate due to this illness surged by 330 per 100,000 individuals in Iran, climbed up to 450 per 100,000 in Jordan, and escalated significantly by 610 per 100,000 in Qatar.

For uterine cancer, the prevalence rose in Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE to 480 per 100,000, 620 per 100,000, 360 per 100,000, and 370 per 100,000, respectively.

Mortality rates for uterine cancer increased in Jordan and Qatar by 440 and 430 cases per 100,000 individuals respectively.

Dr Sungsoo Chun, study co-author and associate chair of the Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology at the American University in Cairo, said: 'Temperature rise likely acts through multiple pathways. It increases exposure to known carcinogens, disrupts healthcare delivery, and may even influence biological processes at the cellular level.

'Together, these mechanisms could elevate cancer risk over time.'

He also noted women are 'physiologically more vulnerable to climate-related health risks, particularly during pregnancy.'

This issue is further exacerbated by inequities that restrict access to healthcare. Vulnerable women encounter an increased danger as they are disproportionately affected by environmental risks and have limited ability to obtain early detection and medical care services," he noted.

Dr. Mataria warned that the study "cannot prove direct causation," and various other elements specific to each country might affect the incidence of cancer among women.

She stated: "Despite this, the strong correlations noted across various nations and forms of cancer offer robust justification for additional research."

The group advocated for more robust cancer screening initiatives in regions highly affected by climate change, along with minimizing contact with environmental toxins known to cause cancer.

Dr. Chun stated, "Unless we tackle these fundamental weaknesses, the impact of climate change on cancer rates will keep increasing."

Read more