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One in three Europeans is diagnosed with cancer and the disease kills 1 in 4 people. Every family in Europe is touched in some way by this devastating disease. Cancer is the second most common cause of death after cardiovascular disease.
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There are more than 2,2 million new cases and more than 1,1 million cancer deaths in the EU 25 (estimated figures for 2006).
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Every day, more than 6000 Europeans are diagnosed with cancer and 3000 die from their disease.
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In both sexes breast, prostate, colon and lung cancers are the most common form of cancer in this order. Together they count for more than, half of the entire cancer population in the European Union in 2006 as well as in Northern and Central Europe.
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Breast cancer is by far the most common form of the disease among women, accounting for 30.9% of all cases and 16.7% of cancer deaths in women. Although less common than in men colon and lung cancer are second and third cause of death from cancer in women.
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Prostate cancer is the most frequent diagnosed form of cancer in men accounting for 24.1% of all cases and 10.4% of cancer deaths in men. Lung cancer continuous by far to be the most common cause of cancer death in men, followed by colon and prostate cancer.
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Most of the other cancers are fortunately seen in smaller numbers and affecting not more than 5/10,000 people in the EU.
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There is an increasing incidence of cancer in children and adolescents in Europe. However, survival rates have improved dramatically over the past few decades.
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Screening programmes can help reduce deaths from certain cancers, yet in some Member States screening programmes are poorly implemented or non-existent, despite the Council Recommendation on screening for colon, cervical and breast cancer, adopted by EU Health Ministers in 2003.
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There are wide variations in outcomes and significant inequalities depending on access to information, geographic location, age, gender and socio-economic status, access to best quality care within Member States and across the EU 25 in 2006.
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Cancer survival is significantly lower in eastern European countries, including the new Member States, than in the EU 15.
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The number of Europeans with cancer will increase dramatically by 2015 largely due to the ageing population.
Figures based on “Estimates of the cancer incidence and mortality in Europe in 2006”
(Annals of Oncology by the International Agency for Research on Cancer www.iarc.fr)
Additional helpful links:
- The IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) website provides specific cancer details for each country
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