Cancer rates fall as people stop smoking
by William Hobson
A decline in the number of deaths from cancer across Europe has been linked to the success of anti-smoking campaigns and legislation across the continent.
Overall cancer death rates in Europe have fallen by 9 percent in men and 8 percent in women since 1994 according to a study from epidemiologists at the Mario Negri Institute at the University of Milan.
The study compared data from the period of 1990 to 1994 with data from the period of 2000-2004. The researchers found that the average number of cancer deaths for both men and women had fallen. For men, the number of average deaths per 100,000 people was down to 168 from 185.2 between 1990 and 1994. For women the reduction was slightly less, with the average number per 100,000 reduced from 104.8 to 96.9 deaths per year for the same periods.
However researchers noted that there were significant differences between different EU nations, linked to the number of people who have stopped smoking or started the habit across Europe.
Whilst many countries have seen increasing numbers of people stop smoking due to public health campaigns, added tax or public bans, others have changed little in their approach to the unhealthy personal habit.
The researchers said that where tobacco and alcohol consumption has increased, a correlated rise in deaths from lung, mouth, pharynx and oesophagus cancers could be seen.
Cristina Bosetti, head of cancer epidemiology at Mario Negri, said that "favorable trends in cancer mortality in Europe have continued over the most recent years.
"This is due mainly to the falls in lung and other tobacco-related cancers in men".
Cancer mortality rates in the worst performing countries could be more than twice as high as those of the best performing countries. For the period of 2000-2004, Hungary had nearly 255.2 male deaths from cancer per 100,000 people, whereas Sweden had only 125.8. For women the highest mortality rates were found in Denmark, with 141 deaths per 100,000 for the same period. In Spain, only 78.9 women per 100,000 died due to cancer related illnesses.
Writing in the study, Cristina Bosetti said that stopping smoking across Europe remained the "key priority for cancer control".
