Nearly 30,000 additional cases of lung and cervical cancer were estimated across European Union countries in 2024 as a result of substantial differences in cancer incidence rates, according to research presented on Monday at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress in Madrid.
The study, presented by Italian epidemiologist Diego Serraino and reported by the ANSA news agency, identified significant inequalities in cancer incidence across EU member states, with rates for some cancers more than seven times higher in certain countries than in others.
Using estimates from the European Cancer Information System, researchers calculated 29,412 excess cases in countries where lung or cervical cancer incidence exceeded the EU average.
Among men, lung cancer incidence varied considerably, ranging from 38 cases per 100,000 people in Sweden to 130 per 100,000 in Hungary. Researchers estimated that these differences contributed to 11,105 excess cases across 12 EU countries.
A similarly wide disparity was identified among women, with Denmark recording 83 lung cancer cases per 100,000 women compared with 20 per 100,000 in Lithuania. The study estimated 13,441 excess cases across 11 countries where incidence rates were above the EU average.
The differences were even more pronounced for cervical cancer. Romania recorded an incidence rate of 36 cases per 100,000 women, more than seven times the rate of five cases per 100,000 reported in Malta.
Of the 4,866 excess cervical cancer cases identified across 10 EU countries, Romania alone accounted for 2,475, representing more than half of the total.
The findings highlight substantial inequalities in the burden of preventable cancers across Europe and point to opportunities for strengthening public health measures.
Researchers emphasised the importance of more effective tobacco-control policies to reduce lung cancer incidence, particularly in countries recording rates substantially above the EU average.
For cervical cancer, they stressed the need to expand access to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and regular screening programmes, which can help prevent the disease and identify precancerous changes before they develop into cancer.
The study underscores the potential benefits of more consistent prevention strategies across EU member states, particularly in countries experiencing disproportionately high cancer incidence rates.