Cancer Research UK : Incidence and mortality in the European Union

Incidence and mortality in the European Union

Cancer is a major cause of morbidity in the EU with an estimated 1.9 million new cases diagnosed in 2000 (Table 2.11-3).

Table 2.1: Number of new cases, deaths, five year prevalence and five year relative survival (%) for all cancers excluding NMSC, countries of the EU

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The majority (59%) of people diagnosed with cancer are aged over 65 (Figure 2.11) and around one in three people in the EU will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime.4

Figure 2.1: All malignant neoplasms (exc NMSC), number of new cases and age specific rates per 100,000 population, by sex, EU, 2000 estimates

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Bowel cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the EU, followed closely by breast and lung cancer (Figure 2.21).

Figure 2.2: The most commonly diagnosed cancers (ex NMSC) diagnosed in the EU, 2000 estimates

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Approximately one in four deaths in the EU are from cancer and there are more than one million deaths from cancer each year.

Lung cancer is the most common cause of death from cancer in the EU with more than 230,000 deaths in 2000, that is one in five of all deaths from cancer (Figure 2.31 overleaf). Most lung cancer deaths occur in men. Breast cancer is the most common cause of death from cancer in women.

Figure 2.3: The most common causes of death from cancer in the EU, 2000 estimates

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Download Table 2.2 for age-standardised incidence rates for selected cancers by sex for the countries of the EU.

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Download Table 2.3 for age-standardised mortality rates for selected cancers by sex for the countries of the EU.

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Figures 2.4 to 2.91 show maps of cancer incidence and mortality across the EU. Download the data for these maps using the link below each image.

Among males the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates are in Hungary, largely due to the high incidence of lung cancer in Hungarian men. The lowest male cancer incidence rates are in Greece and Cyprus while the lowest male cancer mortality rates are in Sweden (Figure 2.4 and 2.5).

The male incidence and mortality rates in the UK are significantly lower than the overall EU rate: UK male incidence rates rank 19th in the EU and UK male mortality rates rank 17th.

Map showing the incidence of cancer across the countries of the EU

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Map showing the pattern of cancer mortality across the countries of the EU

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Among females the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates are in Denmark. The high incidence reflects the fact that they have one of the highest incidences for female breast and ovarian cancer in the EU. The lowest female cancer incidence and mortality rates are in Cyprus and Greece (Figure 2.4 and 2.5).

The female incidence and mortality rates in the UK are significantly higher than the overall EU rate: UK female incidence rates rank 7th in the EU and UK female mortality rates rank 3rd.

Map showing the patterns in the incidence and mortality rates across the countries of the EU

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Map showing the patterns in breast cancer incidence and mortality rates across the countries of the EU

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Map showing the variation in incidence rates across the countries of the EU by sex

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Map showing the incidence and mortality patterns for prostate cancer in the countries of the EU

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References

GLOBOCAN 2000. Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide (2000 estimates).2001
WHO, WHO Mortality Database. 2004
Sant, M., et al., EUROCARE-3: survival of cancer patients diagnosed 1990-94-results and commentary. Ann Oncol, 2003. 14 Suppl 5: p. V61-V118.
Becker, N., Cancer mortality and prevention in the European Union. Eur J Surg Oncol, 1998. 24(5): p. 370-4.