Which tumors will be most frequently diagnosed this year in Spain?
According to the report, the number of cancer cases diagnosed in Spain this year is estimated at 286,664 cases. Cancer rates in Spain in 2024edited by the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) in collaboration with the Spanish Network of Cancer Registries (REDECAN).
Connected
This figure slightly higher than the same report estimates for 2023., which would mean an increase in the number of tumors diagnosed in Spain. “However, as is the case globally, the reality may be slightly different as this estimate does not take into account the possible impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19“.
Expert advice for easing chemotherapy side effects
What types of cancer will be the most diagnosed this year in Spain?
Experts predict that the most diagnosed cancers in Spain in 2024 will be colorectal (44,294 new cases), breast (36,395), lung (32,768), prostate (30,316) and bladder (22,097). ).
Lung and bladder cancer rates are decreasing among men
By gender Prostate tumors affect men the most, colon and rectum, lungs and bladder. They will have a higher incidence of breast cancer, followed by lung, uterine, pancreatic, thyroid, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and bladder cancer.
Regarding the reasons for the increase in cancer incidence in recent decades, doctors Jaume GalceranPresident of REDECAN and Enriqueta FelipePresident of SEOM, notes:
“Population growth (in 1990 the population of Spain was about 38,850,000 inhabitants, and in 2022 – 47,435,597 people); aging population (age is a fundamental risk factor for the development of cancer); contact with risk factors (eg tobacco, alcohol, pollution, obesity or sedentary lifestyle) and early detection of certain cancers such as colorectal, breast, cervical or prostate cancer.
Oncologists predict 159,000 cancer deaths in 2040
Despite advances in early detection and treatment of cancer, the mortality rate from this disease is very high. Thus, an estimated 159,000 people will die from this cause in 2040.
But the figure could be higher because these estimates were made before the pandemic, so it is likely that there are errors in their calculations.
According to the National Institute of Statistics for 2021, 450,744 deaths have been recorded. Once again, tumors were the second leading cause of death, up almost one point from the previous year. Infectious diseases, including COVID-19, were the third leading cause of death with 10.2% of the total.
In men, tumors continue to be the leading cause of death in Spain in 2021 (67,884), ahead of cardiovascular diseases (55,905) and infectious diseases (25,728).
However, among women, the leading cause of death was cardiovascular disease (63,291), followed by tumors (45,818) and infectious diseases (20,273).
The tumors causing the most deaths have remained unchanged from previous years and are lung, colon, pancreas, breast and prostate cancer. For men in Spain in 2020, lung cancer again caused the greatest number of deaths, followed by colon, prostate, pancreatic and bladder cancer. In women, breast cancer was the tumor responsible for the highest mortality rate, followed by lung, colon and pancreatic cancer.
5-year survival after diagnosis
In terms of five-year net survival from diagnosis between 2008 and 2013, it was 55.3% in men and 61.7% in women.
In men, survival was 90% for patients with prostate and testicular cancer and 86% for thyroid cancer. At the opposite extreme are patients with pancreatic cancer, of whom a percentage survival It was 7%, in the lungs 12%, in the esophagus 13% and in the liver 18%.
The net survival rate for thyroid cancer was 93%, for cutaneous melanoma it was 89%, and for breast cancer it was 86%.
In women, the net survival rate for thyroid cancer was 93%, for cutaneous melanoma it was 89%, and for breast cancer it was 86%; for pancreatic cancer it was 10%, for liver and esophageal cancer – 16% and for lung cancer – 18%.
“The survival rate of cancer patients in Spain is similar to that in neighboring countries. Estimated has doubled over the past 40 years and it is likely that, albeit slowly, it will continue to grow in the coming years,” said Dr. Enriqueta Felip, President of SEOM.
Alcohol and tobacco cause many types of cancer
Tobacco, alcohol and obesity remain some of the most important risk factors for cancer, factors that can also be avoided. According to WHO, a third of cancer deaths are associated with tobacco smoking, infections, alcohol, a sedentary lifestyle and inadequate nutrition (not enough fruits and vegetables).
Penile cancer: what are its symptoms and why are there more cases in Albacete?
In Spain, 23.3% of men and 16.4% of women are heavy smokers. It highlights that since the 1970s, as mentioned earlier, there has been a progressive increase in smoking among women, which consequently affects the morbidity and mortality of related tumors.
We want to emphasize that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption, as the risk of developing cancer increases even with low consumption.
Oncology experts estimate that in Spain in 2020, alcohol was responsible for the diagnosis of around 4,500 cases of colon cancer, around 2,100 cases of breast cancer and around 1,500 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma and oral tumors, among others.
“At SEOM we want to emphasize that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption, as the risk of cancer increases even with low consumption,” warns Dr. Phelip, who explains that “it is estimated that up to 4,600 cases of breast cancer occur each year.” Cancer in Europe is caused by alcohol consumption (1 glass of wine per day), with these figures increasing significantly with increasing alcohol consumption.
Moreover, he added: “This has a synergistic effect with smokingand collectively, the risk of developing carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, or esophagus was multiplied by 30.”
Obesity causes about 450,000 cases of cancer worldwide
When it comes to obesity, at least nine types of cancer are associated with it, with the overall incidence of cancer being around 450,000 cases per year. Thus, it is estimated that there are, among others, about 110,000 cases of postmenopausal breast and endometrial cancer directly related to obesity, 85,000 cases of colon cancer and 65,000 cases of kidney cancer, among others.
And according to these estimates, if average body mass index had not increased worldwide over the past 30 years, more than 160,000 cases of cancer could have been avoided in 2012 alone.
Regarding infectious agents associated with cancer, there are ten classified as carcinogens: Helicobacter pylori, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, human papillomavirus serotypes 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58 and 59, Epstein-Barr virus, herpes virus type 8 or Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpes virus, HTLV-1, Opistrochis viverrini, Clonorchis sinensis and Schistomsoma haematobium.