MPOWER Tobacco Control Policies' Effects on Lip and Oral Cavity Cancer Trends in MERCOSUR Countries.

BACKGROUND

As tobacco is the main risk factor for oral cancer, it is important to understand the burden of this disease in light of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. For MERCOSUR, tobacco control is a topic of interest. The aim of this study was to describe MPOWER measure scores and to evaluate the trends in lip and oral cavity cancer (LOC) incidence, mortality and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), from 2005 to 2021, in MERCOSUR countries.

METHODS

This is an ecological descriptive study, where the MPOWER measure scores were extracted from the Global Health Observatory of World Health Organization, and the Age-standardized Rates (ASRs) of LOC for MERCOSUR countries were obtained from the Global Burden of Diseases 2021 results tool. The trends of LOC ASRs were obtained using the Prais-Winsten method.

RESULTS

Paraguay and Venezuela had lower MPOWER scores over time than Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. These last three countries showed LOC trends decreasing for most indicators among males, while Paraguay and Venezuela showed increasing trends in incidence for both males and females, and no decreasing trends.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that MERCOSUR countries with a history of more rigorous MPOWER tobacco control policies are exhibiting decreasing trends in LOC burden.