Highest mortality rates seen among older adults, rural populations, and those in the Midwest
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, July 14, 2025 (HealthDay News) — From 1999 to 2020, obesity-related cancer mortality increased significantly, according to a study presented at ENDO 2025, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, held from July 12 to 15 in San Francisco.
Rabbia Haider, M.B.B.S., from St. Luke’s Hospital in Ellisville, Missouri, and colleagues analyzed CDC WONDER mortality data for 33,572 obesity-related cancer deaths in 1999 to 2020. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) were calculated per million, and trends were examined to determine annual percentage change (APC) and average annual percentage change (AAPC).
The researchers found that from 1999 to 2020, mortality trends increased from an AAMR of 3.73 to 13.52, with 47.7 percent of the deaths occurring in medical facilities. The overall AAPC was 5.92 percent, with a sharp increase noted from 2018 to 2020 (APC, 19.37 percent). The average AAMR was 7.22 for women and 6.59 for men (AAPCs, 5.37 and 6.75 percent, respectively). The highest AAPC was seen in Hispanics, and the lowest in Blacks (6.31 and 5.37 percent, respectively). A significantly higher AAMR was seen in those aged 65 years and older (20.82), peaking at 41.54 in 2020, with an AAPC of 6.26 percent versus those aged 25 to 64 years. The Midwest had the highest AAMR and Northeast had the lowest (7.96 and 5.7, respectively), with AAPCs of 6.01 and 5.56 percent, respectively. Increasing mortality trends were seen in both rural and urban areas (AAPCs, 6.98 and 6.03 percent, respectively).
“This research underscores the need for targeted public health strategies such as early screening and improved access to care, especially in high-risk rural and underserved areas,” lead author Faizan Ahmed, M.D., from Duke University Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, said in a statement.
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