Abstract
BACKGROUND: We used disability-adjusted life years (DALY) to estimate the cancer burden in Japan for the year 2000. METHODS: We estimated years of life lost (YLL) by using mortality data and years lived with disability (YLD) by using incidence data. The DALY for cancer was calculated as the sum of YLL and YLD. RESULTS: For all cancers combined, 2 733 884 years of DALY were estimated in men and 2 091 874 years were estimated in women. Among men, stomach and lung cancers accounted for the largest proportions of DALY, followed by liver cancer and colorectal cancer. Among women, the greatest contributors to DALY were stomach, colorectal, breast, and lung cancers. CONCLUSIONS: The national cancer burden in Japan was expressed in terms of DALY, which might be useful in assessing future changes with respect to mortality and morbidity in Japan.