A new study has found that increasing temperatures in Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries over the past two decades may be linked to rising cancer risk and mortality among women.
Published in Frontiers in Public Health, the research looked at data related to breast, ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancers from 17 countries in the region.
The research found that each degree Celsius rise in heat between 1998 and 2019 was associated with statistically significant increases in both cancer prevalence and mortality. Ovarian cancer saw the sharpest spike.
Also Read | Climate change may expand reach of fungus linked to millions of deaths: Study
“As temperatures rise, cancer mortality among women also rises, particularly for ovarian and breast cancers,” study lead author Dr Wafa Abuelkheir Mataria from the American University in Cairo said. “Although the increases per degree of temperature rise are modest, their cumulative public health impact is substantial.”
The study suggests that climate change may be indirectly increasing cancer risk through greater exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation and pollution caused by rising temperatures, droughts, and wildfires.
“We’re not saying heat directly causes cancer. But the strong associations across countries mean climate change is likely playing a role and needs to be studied more,” Dr Mataria noted.
“Ozone depletion and rising heat levels can increase exposure to a wide range of cancer-linked environmental agents,” said Irina Stepanov, a public health professor at the University of Minnesota and member of its Masonic Cancer Center.
