Cancer Incidence Patterns in Saudi Arabia: A Descriptive Analysis of 2022–2023

Cancer represents a significant public health challenge in Saudi Arabia, with incidence patterns reflecting the complex interplay of demographic transitions, lifestyle changes, and healthcare system developments.Comprehensive population-level analyses are essential for informing healthcare policy, resource allocation, and the development of targeted prevention and control strategies.Objective: To characterize cancer incidence patterns in Saudi Arabia for 2023 and compare with 2022 data to identify emerging trends, sex-specific patterns, age distributions, and changes in the relative frequency of major cancer types among the Saudi population.Methods: A retrospective analysis of Saudi Cancer Registry data for 25,864 cases diagnosed in 2023 was conducted.Age-standardized incidence rates (ASR) were calculated per 100,000 population using the Segi world standard population.Year-over-year percentage changes were computed to compare 2023 findings with 2022 data.Descriptive statistics characterized cancer distribution by site, sex, and age group.Results: Among Saudi nationals, females accounted for 58.2% of cases (n = 11,927) with an ASR of 172.0 per 100,000, compared to 135.1 for males.The five leading cancers were breast (20.3%), colorectal (13.1%), thyroid (9.2%), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (4.7%), and leukemia (4.2%).Breast cancer demonstrated a significant 24.7% increase from 2022 (3,334 to 4,159 cases including males).Thyroid cancer cases increased by 12.8%, while non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases decreased by 12.8%.Childhood cancers (n=777) represented 3.8% of all Saudi cases, with leukemia (25.5%) and brain/central nervous system (CNS) tumors (19.0%) as the leading diagnoses.The median age at diagnosis varied by cancer type, ranging from 37 years for female leukemia to 69 years for males' prostate cancer.Conclusion: The findings reveal distinct sex-specific cancer patterns with a notable increase in breast cancer incidence and divergent trends in male versus female age-standardized rates.These data provide critical evidence for developing targeted screening programs, informing cancer control strategies, and guiding healthcare resource allocation.