2158 - Understanding the Incidence and Mortality of Brain Tumors through the Lens of Socioeconomic Development: A Global Analysis

03:00pm - 04:00pm ET

Poster Hall - Exhibit Hall A

Screen: 7

POSTER

Presenter(s)

Shivani Nagamalla, BS - New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY

S. Nagamalla¹, and N. Mladkova²; ¹New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, ²Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY

Purpose/Objective(s):

Brain and central nervous system (CNS) cancers pose a complex global health challenge, despite accounting for less than 2% of all cancer diagnoses worldwide. These malignancies are notable for their devastating impact, characterized by high mortality rates and challenges in treatment and patient care. Emerging epidemiological research suggests a compelling connection between economic development and brain cancer incidence and mortality, prompting a deeper investigation into the underlying factors, such as healthcare capacity, environmental exposures, and population health, that may influence these patterns.

Materials/Methods:

We obtained brain and CNS cancer incidence and mortality data for 193 countries from GLOBOCAN 2022 and classified countries according to their Human Development Index (HDI) rankings from lowest to highest development levels. We then collected data on healthcare workforce density (neurosurgeons, pathologists), diagnostic technology (MRI availability), health system factors (universal healthcare coverage, clinical trials availability, radiotherapy machines), population metrics (life expectancy, obesity, height), and environmental exposures (air pollution, radon levels). Multivariate regression models were used to identify factors associated with brain cancer burden.

Results:

Countries with the highest HDI scores reported nearly 3-fold higher brain and CNS cancer incidence and mortality compared to the least developed countries. Among all the variables analyzed, life expectancy at birth, pathologist density, and population height showed the strongest positive correlations with both incidence and mortality of brain and CNS tumors. Healthcare system factors, including MRI availability, radiotherapy availability, universal health coverage, and neurosurgeon density, also demonstrated significant associations, though with slightly lower correlation strength. In contrast, the number of clinical trials for brain malignancies and national radon levels showed no significant correlation with incidence or mortality, and air pollution levels were weakly negatively correlated.

Conclusion:

Healthcare infrastructure and population health indicators explain the higher brain cancer burden observed in more developed countries. These findings suggest that the relationship between socioeconomic development and brain cancer incidence reflects complex interactions between diagnostic capacity, healthcare access, and population-level health characteristics rather than solely representing differences in disease occurrence.