Abstract
Background In Europe, cancer is a major cause of illness and deaths. An estimated 3.4 million new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2012, and this is expected to continue rising to 4.1 in 2030 despite large expenditure being spent on early detection and cancer treatment. Here we sought to assess the potential in cancer prevention by estimating the avoidable numbers and proportions of 17 cancers amenable to prevention in Europe. Method We extracted data from the GLOBOCAN 2012 for cancers of the lip, oral cavity and pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, colorectum, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, larynx, lung, melanoma of skin, breast, cervix uteri, corpus uteri, ovary, kidney and renal pelvis, bladder, acute myeloid leukemia in 40 European countries. These cancers have shown convincing relation to six major cancer risk factors: smoking, alcohol, overweight, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and solar ultraviolet. We assumed that the lowest observed rate to be attainable throughout Europe. The difference between the age- and gender-specific national cancer incidence rates and the lowest rate observed in 2012 was estimated and defined here as “potentially preventable”. Results 1.5 million cancers or 43% out of all cancers, which were almost equally distributed by sex (48% in males), were potentially preventable. Among men, the proportion was largest in Hungary (57%) and among women, in Denmark (59%). Despite large variation by countries and region, large proportion of preventable cancers was related to large proportion of cancers related to smoking and alcohol drinking (lung, head and neck and bladder cancers). Discussion The potential for cancer prevention in Europe is large; about 4 out of 10 cases could be potentially avoided. Interventions directed at reducing smoking and alcohol use as well as taking up other healthy lifestyle options are key to reduce the cancer burden in Europe.
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