Global burden of soft tissue sarcomas in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021: data from the global burden of disease study 2021

Background: There is a lack of epidemiological surveys on soft tissue sarcoma (STS) worldwide. This study aims to assess the global disease burden of soft tissue sarcoma in 204 countries and regions. Methods: We analyzed the incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of STS based on the data provided by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 study, and assessed the trends in disease burden across different regions, sexes, and age groups. At the same time, we used the Bayesian Age-Period-Cohort (BAPC) model to predict the development trend of the global disease burden of STS. Results: Globally, over the past 30 years, the number of STS cases has increased from 54,630.92 in 1990 to 96,200.96 in 2021, while the age-standardized incidence rate has decreased by 0.05 per 100,000 people during this period. The age-standardized incidence rate and DALYs rate have respectively declined by 0.14 per 100,000 people and 6.86 years per 100,000 people. In 21 GBD regions, there is a significant positive correlation between Socio-Demographic Index(SDI) and incidence rate (R = 0.4730, P < 0.0001). It is projected that the number of STS cases will peak in 2033, reaching 95,591.93 people. Conclusion: The disease burden of STS has been decreasing, especially regarding mortality and DALYs rates. It's more prevalent in developed regions, males, and older. Focused medical prevention and health measures for these groups can help reduce the global disease burden.