Two cancers in Europe Significant increase

Cancer deaths in Europe are on the decline - Two cancers are on the increase

04/24/2014

As recent numbers show, cancer deaths decline in Europe. For two cancers, however, the numbers are rising. For example, pancreatic cancer and lung cancer are the only forms of cancer that are on the rise in Europe.

Two cancers in Europe on the rise
Latest figures show that cancer deaths are decreasing in Europe. However, in two diseases the opposite is the case. Thus, pancreatic cancer and lung cancer are among the only cancers in Europe that are on the rise in Europe. As projections by Swiss and Italian researchers show, all other cancers in 2014 will cause fewer deaths. This report the scientists in the British trade magazine „Annals of Oncology“.

Rise in pancreatic cancer is worrying
According to this, more than 82,000 men and women are dying of pancreatic cancer this year, against which there are hardly any treatment options. According to the team led by Fabio Levi from the University Hospital and the University of Lausanne, in 2014 a total of about 742,000 men and 580,000 women will die of cancer in Europe. „The increase in pancreatic cancer is worrying as the prognosis is bleak and only 5 percent of patients still live five years after diagnosis“, said co-chief author Carlo La Vecchia of the University of Milan in a statement.

Prevention for lack of promising therapies
Risk factors for pancreatic cancer are not only smoking, obesity or obesity and alcohol abuse but also a family history of the cancer. The prevention of smoking cessation, control of obesity and diabetes is the only approach currently lacking promising therapies. Therefore, a priority is to seek better prevention and treatment options. But otherwise the doctors paint a rather positive picture. For example, since 1988, cancer deaths among men have fallen by 26 percent and in women by 20 percent. And since 2009 at least seven or five percent. As the researchers report, it was thus possible to prevent 250,000 cancer deaths compared to 1988 for this year.

Soon more deaths from lung cancer than from breast cancer
It is also pleasing that the three most common cancers in men (lung, colon and prostate cancers) are decreasing by 8.4% and 10% respectively this year. In women, breast and colorectal cancer are reduced by nine and seven percent. However, lung cancer in them increases by eight percent. La Vecchia explained: „The women who started smoking in the 1960s and 70s now get lung cancer.“ He says lung cancer will overtake breast cancer as the leading cause of death in women over the next few years. Levi said EU and national authorities would have to enforce tobacco control, mainly through higher taxes. In Germany, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), a breast tumor is detected annually in more than 70,000 women. Every year, about 17,000 women die from it and breast cancer is still the leading cause of cancer death among women in this country.

Improvements through screening programs and better therapies
The reduction in colorectal and prostate cancer attributed to doctors better screening programs, diagnostic and treatment options. Breast cancer is mainly responsible for the better therapies. It should be ensured by the authorities that all people have access to these options. This applies in particular to the Eastern European countries, which were still lagging behind. The authors predict that cancer deaths in Europe will be the fourth year in a row, using data from 27 EU countries. The study was funded by the Swiss Cancer League, the Foundation for Cancer Research Switzerland and the Italian Cancer Research Society. The study, which was conducted under the EU Pancreas Program, looked specifically at deaths from abdominal, intestinal, pancreatic, lung, prostate, breast and uterine (cervical) cancer. (Sb)