Click here to sign in with or
Forget Password?
Learn more
share this!
23
1
Share
Email
October 19, 2022
Around one million children worldwide lose their mother to cancer every year, often leaving orphans caught up in a “vicious cycle of disadvantage”, researchers said Wednesday.
The first-ever estimate for the number of children left motherless from cancer was announced at the World Cancer Congress in Geneva on Wednesday.
It was prompted by a study in Africa by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is based in Lyon, France.
That research followed more than 2,000 women with breast cancer in Namibia, Uganda, Zambia and Nigeria, over half of whom died in just five years.
The study illustrated that “the intergenerational impact of cancer deaths of mothers hasn’t been documented,” IARC epidemiologist Valerie McCormack told AFP.
So the IARC researchers calculated that out of the four million who died from cancer in 2020, one million children were left motherless.
Around 45 percent of the mothers died from breast and cervical cancer, which are “very preventable”, McCormack said, calling for more investment to fight both diseases.
During the research in sub-Saharan Africa, McCormack said families described selling their land to pay for cancer treatment, leaving no money left for educating the children.
“It’s a vicious cycle of disadvantage” for poorer families, she said.
The researchers arrived at their global estimate, which has not been peer reviewed, by combining the number of annual female cancer deaths from IARC’s GLOBOCAN database with fertility data from the United Nations.
More women than men die from cancer between the ages of 35 and 50 worldwide, largely due to cancer in female reproductive organs.
As time goes on, the situation reverses as men increasingly get prostate and lifestyle-related types of cancer.
And people in high-income countries are more likely to die from cancer later in life, when their children are grown.
McCormack said the IARC was working on finding a similar global figure for children left fatherless by cancer, but it was a trickier equation without the fertility data.
Explore further
© 2022 AFP
Feedback to editors
Oct 18, 2022
0
Oct 17, 2022
0
Oct 17, 2022
0
Oct 13, 2022
0
Oct 13, 2022
1
10 hours ago
10 hours ago
10 hours ago
11 hours ago
11 hours ago
11 hours ago
12 hours ago
Oct 06, 2022
Nov 02, 2016
Apr 12, 2017
Feb 04, 2019
Dec 14, 2015
Aug 01, 2022
12 hours ago
12 hours ago
12 hours ago
14 hours ago
18 hours ago
16 hours ago
Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page. For general inquiries, please use our contact form. For general feedback, use the public comments section below (please adhere to guidelines).
Please select the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request
Thank you for taking time to provide your feedback to the editors.
Your feedback is important to us. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages.
Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. Neither your address nor the recipient’s address will be used for any other purpose. The information you enter will appear in your e-mail message and is not retained by Medical Xpress in any form.
Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time and we’ll never share your details to third parties.
More information Privacy policy
Daily science news on research developments and the latest scientific innovations
The latest engineering, electronics and technology advances
The most comprehensive sci-tech news coverage on the web
This site uses cookies to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our services, collect data for ads personalisation and provide content from third parties. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
