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Nearly 30,000 additional cases of lung and cervical cancer were estimated across European Union countries in 2024 because of disparities in cancer incidence rates, with some countries seeing rates more than seven times higher than others, according to a study presented Monday.
Italian epidemiologist Diego Serraino presented the findings at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress in Madrid, the ANSA news agency reported.
Based on European Cancer Information System estimates, the study identified 29,412 excess cases in countries where incidence exceeded the EU average. Excess cases refer to additional diagnoses in a country compared with what would be expected if its rate matched the EU average. The total combines lung cancer cases among men and women with cervical cancer cases.
For lung cancer among men, incidence ranged from 38 cases per 100,000 people in Sweden to 130 in Hungary, with 11,105 excess cases seen across 12 countries.
Among women, Denmark saw 83 lung cancer cases per 100,000 compared with 20 in Lithuania, contributing to 13,441 excess cases across 11 countries.
Cervical cancer, which develops in the lower part of the uterus, showed even greater disparities, with Romania seeing 36 cases per 100,000 women compared with just five on the island nation of Malta, a gap of more than seven times.
Of the 4,866 excess cervical cancer cases identified across 10 countries, Romania accounted for 2,475.
Researchers emphasized stronger anti-smoking measures to reduce lung cancer risks, alongside human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and regular screening to prevent cervical cancer and detect precancerous lesions early.
HPV is a group of common viruses linked to cervical cancer. Precancerous lesions are abnormal cell changes that can develop into cancer.
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