Lung cancer mortality in European men: Trends and predictions

Abstract

Lung cancer mortality in men from the European Union (EU) peaked in the late 1980s at an age-standardised (world standard population) rate over 53/100,000 and declined subsequently to reach 44/100,000 in the early 2000s. To provide a comprehensive picture of recent trends in male lung cancer mortality in Europe, we analyzed available data from the World Health Organization up to 2009 and predicted future rates to 2015. Lung cancer mortality rates in EU men continued to fall over recent years, to reach a value of 41.1/100,000 in 2005-2009. The fall was similar at all-ages and in middle-aged men (less than 2% per year over most recent years), but was appreciably larger in young men (aged 20-44 years, over 5% per year). A favourable trend is thus likely to be maintained in the foreseeable future, although the predicted overall EU rate in 2015 is still over 35/100,000, i.e., higher than the US rate in 2007 (33.7/100,000). Over most recent calendar years, overall male lung cancer rates were around 35-40/100,000 in western Europe, as compared to over 50/100,000 in central and eastern Europe. Within western Europe, lung cancer rates were lower in northern countries such as Sweden, but also Finland and the UK (below 30/100,000), where the tobacco-related epidemic started earlier and rates have long been declining, whereas mortality was high in Belgium (51.6), France (42.3), the Netherlands and Spain (around 43.0), where the epidemic started later but is persisting. Widespread measures for smoking control and cessation in middle-aged European men, i.e., in the generations where smoking prevalence used to be high, would lead to appreciable reductions in male lung cancer mortality in the near future. This is particularly urgent in central and eastern European countries.

Convergence of decreasing male and increasing female incidence rates in major tobacco-related cancers in Europe in 1988–2010

“…In southern Europe, declines in male incidence were also reported by Znaor et al in central Serbia over the 1999-2008 period [26]. While the peak of lung cancer cases seems to have been reached in men, as already reported by Malvezzi et al [27], our analyses indicate that it has not yet been reached in women. It was estimated that, in Europe, in 2012, lung cancer-the majority of cases of which are attributable to smoking-was the most commonly diagnosed cancer in 15 countries and the second most common cancer in 13 further countries in men, and ranked second in three countries among women (Albania, Iceland and the UK).…”

“…Tobacco control remains a top priority for cancer control in Europe [44]; advances in cancer therapy have not had much success in improving survival for the cancers in this study [45,46]. Key targets for prevention efforts should include men in central and eastern Europe [27], southern Europe and Baltic countries and young women across Europe [7]. In recognition of the heterogeneity and diversity between populations, targeted and adaptable approaches to cancer prevention are essential [47].…”

Laryngeal cancer mortality trends in European countries

“…The importance of tobacco and alcohol on laryngeal cancer mortality is also reflected by the similarity of trends to those for lung cancer 27,28 and other tobacco-and alcohol-related neoplasms. 29 Moreover, as reported in a few other studies, 20,[30][31][32] over the last few decades declines were also observed in laryngeal cancer incidence, influenced by changes in risk factors exposures only, in the absence of populations programs of screening for the disease.…”

Correlation between gene polymorphisms of CYP1A1, GSTP1, ERCC2, XRCC1, and XRCC3 and susceptibility to lung cancer

“…Lung cancer is a common malignant tumor that is characterized by high morbidity and poor prognosis (Malvezzi et al, 2013). Early diagnosis and treatment can effectively improve the prospects for patients with lung cancer.…”