Environmental Exposure to Carcinogens and Cancer Incidence in Kazakhstan: Opportunities for Cancer Prevention

Taioli, Emanuela; Tuminello, Stephanie; Henschke, Claudia; Yankelevitz, David; Visona, Silvia Damiana; Kaidarova, Dilyara; Turkpenova, Innara; Sagi, Madina; Smagulova, Kaldygul; Kadyrbayeva, Rabiga; Amankulov, Jandos

doi:10.31557/APJCP.2026.27.10.3679

Environmental Exposure to Carcinogens and Cancer Incidence in Kazakhstan: Opportunities for Cancer Prevention

Document Type : Research Articles

Authors

¹ Institute for Translational Epidemiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States.

² Department of Thoracic Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States.

³ Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States.

⁴ Department of Diagnostic, Molecular, and Interventional Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States.

⁵ Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, Unit of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.

⁶ Kazakh National Medical University named after S.D. Asfendiyarov, Almaty, Kazakhstan.

⁷ Kazakh Institute of Oncology and Radiology, Almaty, Kazakhstan.

10.31557/APJCP.2026.27.10.3679

Abstract

Background: Kazakhstan is a large country in Central Asia with long history of uranium and asbestos mining and nuclear testing, whose health effects have not been fully analyzed. Objectives: To study the geographical distribution of cancer rates in relation to toxic sites. Methods: We conducted an extensive review of publicly available datasets, administrative documents, and publications to assess past and active sources of exposure to carcinogens, and the geographic distribution of cancer incidence. Findings: Several past and ongoing sources of environmental exposures were identified. Cancer incidence is unevenly distributed, with the highest rates in the areas where nuclear testing was performed. The most frequently observed cancers are those of the lung, stomach, colorectum, and hematopoietic system. Among males, prostate cancer entered the list of the top cancers, while among females, breast, uterine, and cervical cancer were the most represented. Conclusions: There are relatively small, densely populated areas that are heavily impacted by reactors, previous nuclear testing, uranium mines, chemical plants, and nuclear waste facilities. The geographic distribution of cancer rates reflects, in part, the location of the polluting sites, as well as personal exposure to behavioral risk factors, such as smoking and dietary habits. Aggressive preventive measures should be put in place for those cancers that are preventable through either screening or vaccination. Because of the many radon and uranium sites, lung cancer screening should be routinely offered to high-risk populations.

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