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yesterday

Rising Temperatures Drive Up Women’s Cancer Rates in Middle East and North Africa

Each 1 °C uptick in regional temperatures correlates with hundreds more cancer diagnoses per 100,000 women accompanied by rising mortality, underscoring the need for stronger screening alongside resilient health systems.

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A woman holds up a sign during a demonstration calling for a stand against climate change in Qatar, a country where climate change is making certain cancers more common and more deadly among women.
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Overview

  • A study of 17 Middle Eastern and North African countries from 1998 to 2019 found statistically significant links between higher heat and increased breast, ovarian, uterine and cervical cancer rates.
  • Every 1 °C increase corresponded to 173–280 additional cancer cases and 171–332 extra deaths per 100,000 women, with ovarian cancer showing the steepest rise and cervical cancer the smallest.
  • Cancer prevalence and mortality surged most sharply in Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Syria, reflecting extreme summer heat and local risk factors.
  • Researchers attribute the heat-linked cancer spike to multiple pathways, including elevated exposure to carcinogens, disruptions to healthcare delivery and potential cellular effects of warming.
  • The authors call for expanded screening programs, climate-resilient health systems and measures to reduce environmental carcinogen exposure to prevent further growth in the cancer burden.