Cancer statistics in Europe are encouraging: Between 1989 and 2025, nearly 7 million deaths were averted in the European Union (EU), including over 373,000 from breast cancer.
This finding emerged from a study recently published in the Annals of Oncology by a team of researchers led by Carlo La Vecchia from the University of Milan in Milan, Italy. Using data from various international databases, the authors generated updated estimates for the mortality and incidence of various malignancies in the EU, focusing on five of the most populous nations — France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain — and the United Kingdom, with particular emphasis on breast cancer data.
Current data indicate that cancer mortality rates have decreased in both sexes and across all countries studied over the past 15 years, primarily driven by increased smoking cessation rates. However, the total number of cancer deaths has not declined due to an aging population. Furthermore, significant disparities in cancer mortality exist among countries. “Predicting numbers and trends in cancer mortality is relevant for assessing burden of disease and provides insight into the impact of prevention, screening programmes, and advances in treatment for cancer,” the authors explained.
Analysis Insights
According to estimates by La Vecchia and colleagues, 1,280,000 cancer deaths are expected in the EU by 2025, corresponding to age-standardised rates of 120.9 per 100,000 men (−3.5% compared with 2020) and 79.1 per 100,000 women (−1.2%). In the United Kingdom, 173,000 cancer deaths are predicted, with age-standardised rates of 101.2 per 100,000 men (−10.1%) and 82.1 per 100,000 women (−6.3%).
“The latest cancer mortality estimates bring encouraging news: Mortality rates continue to decline over time. In 2025, accounting for population aging, fewer people are expected to die from cancer compared to previous years. This positive trend is the result of multiple contributing factors — including primary prevention, secondary prevention, and therapeutic advances — each playing a varying role depending on the specific type of cancer,” said Dr Massimo Di Maio, director of Medical Oncology at A.O.U. City of Health and Science of Turin, Molinette Hospital, Turin, Italy, and president of the Italian Association of Medical Oncology, speaking with Univadis Italy, a Medscape Network platform. The expert, who was not involved in the study, also referenced a recent US study that confirmed the reduction in cancer mortality in recent decades and attempted to quantify the impact of various interventions (prevention, treatment, etc.) on this critical outcome for common tumours. The conclusions of this study indicate that prevention and screening have made the most significant contributions to reducing mortality.
Further Action Required
“While the overall news is positive — namely the percentage decrease in cancer deaths — the specific data for certain types of cancer warrant reflection,” Di Maio noted. Among these, pancreatic cancer, for which exposure to risk factors such as obesity is increasing, lacks effective secondary prevention tools and therapies. “Equally disappointing is the trend in mortality for smoking-related tumours, such as lung or bladder, in women, a problem linked to the incidence and consequences of smoking habits in the female population,” he added.
These findings also emerged from the study by La Vecchia and colleagues, which outlined several potential reasons underlying the trends observed for mortality of individual tumours; for example, the positive statistics for gastric cancer are particularly linked to the control of Helicobacter pylori infection, while improvements in early diagnosis and treatment techniques have positively affected colorectal cancer outcomes.
“The data on ‘deaths avoided’ is encouraging, but we could do much more,” Di Maio stated, highlighting three key areas: Primary prevention, with improvements in lifestyle; secondary prevention, with enhancements in the availability and adherence to screening that remain suboptimal, particularly in southern regions; and finally, therapies. In addition to hoping for advancements in research, ensuring timely access to these innovations for all patients is crucial.
“Since many therapeutic advances depend on the optimal integration of multiple therapies (surgery and neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatments, etc.), optimal outcomes also depend on ensuring timely multidisciplinary discussions for all patients,” Di Maio concluded.
This story was translated from Univadis Italy using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.