According to current statistics, the poorer people, the earlier they will develop cancer.
"Men and women with a low socio-economic status fall ill on average seven years earlier than people with a higher socio-economic status," says the as yet unpublished oncology report from the AOK Rheinland / Hamburg, which is available to the newspaper Rheinische Post.
The difference can be seen in all types of cancer without exception.
For example, women who have a monthly pension of less than 800 euros contracted breast cancer for the first time at the age of 72.8.
In contrast, women with a pension over 1,600 euros are on average 80.4 years old, according to the study.
The issue of colon cancer in men is similar: Pensioners with less than 800 euros a month are on average only 71.3 years old when they are diagnosed with colon cancer.
For men with more than 1,600 euros, however, the age of onset is 77.6 years.
"Risk factors in people with a low socio-economic status are the higher proportion of smokers, less physical activity, poor eating habits and the increased prevalence of obesity," writes the AOK.
Obesity describes severe or pathological excess weight.
Too few go for early detection
The participation rate for early detection offers is below 50 percent, reports the AOK.
Women go to preventive care significantly more often than men.
There are also major regional differences.
In 2020, the year of the outbreak of the corona pandemic, the use of the preventive programs would have fallen by up to 20 percent compared to previous years, the report said.
"It shows that there is still considerable potential, especially in men, to sharpen awareness of the importance of early detection," said the head of the AOK Rheinland / Hamburg, Günter Waltermann.