European cancer burden set to rise, warn researchers
Despite better prevention and treatments, the European cancer burden is set to increase in the coming years as a result of the ageing population, scientists have warned. However, public health measures, particularly in the field of tobacco control, could help to reduce the incidence of certain cancers. According to figures from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) published in the Annals of Oncology, there were an estimated 3.2 million new cases of cancer in 2006 (up from 2.9 million in 2004) and 1.7 million deaths in Europe as a whole. Of those, 2.3 million cases and 1.2 million deaths were in the EU25. Lung, colorectal, breast and stomach cancers were the top four killers, with lung cancer accounting for almost a fifth of all cancer deaths. 'Lung cancer retains its status as the leading cause of cancer death in Europe in 2006,' commented Professor Peter Boyle, Director of the IARC and one of the authors of the paper. 'The overwhelming majority of lung cancer is caused by tobacco smoking, and tobacco control is clearly a number one priority in Europe, not only aimed at men, particularly the male populations of Central and eastern Europe, but increasingly targeted towards women, especially in Northern Europe.' At the end of January the European Commission launched a public debate on the best way to promote smoke-free environments. A recent Eurobarometer survey found that a large majority of Europeans are in favour of smoking bans in public places. Another big killer was colorectal cancer, which accounted for over 200,000 deaths in 2006, and here again Prof Boyle believes public health measures have an important role to play. 'There remains hope that dietary modifications, increased physical activity and avoidance of obesity could lead to reductions in the incidence and mortality from colorectal cancer,' he explained. 'However, progress has been very slow; the number of deaths has increased by 1.8% since our previous 2004 estimates. Screening for colorectal cancer has been shown to be effective, and clearly there is a need for organised colorectal cancer screening programmes throughout Europe.' Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer, with over 400,000 cases in 2006. Prof Boyle attributes this to better screening procedures leading to more cancers being detected at an earlier stage. The situation is similar for prostate cancer, where use of PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) testing is now widespread in many countries. However, he warned that the number of deaths from both these diseases was likely to rise as a result of the ageing population. The researchers conclude by noting that there is a need for greater national coverage across Europe to be sure of the accuracy of the statistics. 'Improved cancer registration with increased population coverage at member state level is an essential component for evidence-based decision making within the European Commission,' they write.