Study finds 30,000 excess cancer cases tied to EU inequalities

Diego Serraino, an Italian epidemiologist, presented findings at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress in Madrid on Monday showing that disparities in cancer incidence rates across EU countries generated nearly 30,000 excess cases of lung and cervical malignancies in 2024.

Sharp gaps in lung cancer rates

For lung cancer among men, incidence rates varied dramatically from 38 cases per 100,000 people in Sweden to 130 in Hungary, generating 11,105 excess cases across 12 countries where rates exceeded the EU average. Among women, Denmark reported 83 cases per 100,000 compared with just 20 in Lithuania, contributing to 13,441 excess cases spanning 11 nations, according to European Cancer Information System estimates cited in the study.

Cervical cancer burden concentrated in Eastern Europe

Cervical cancer displayed even starker inequalities, with Romania recording 36 cases per 100,000 women against only five in the island nation of Malta. The analysis identified 4,866 excess cervical cancer cases across 10 countries, with Romania alone accounting for 2,475 of these additional diagnoses — a concentration that reveals significant geographical divides in prevention and screening access across the 27-member bloc.

Researchers urge stronger prevention measures

Serraino and colleagues stressed the need for reinforced anti-smoking policies to curb lung cancer risks, alongside expanded human papillomavirus vaccination programs and systematic screening protocols to prevent cervical cancer and detect precancerous lesions at early stages. The findings underscore persistent public health gaps within the European Union despite overall advances in oncological care.