Raquel Serrano Madrid
Madrid
Updated Monday, January 29, 2024-14:44
In this year
2024
, the number of
cancers diagnosed in Spain
will rise to 286,664, which represents an
increase of 2.6%
compared to 2023, the year in which 279,260 cases were diagnosed, a figure, however, expected taking into account It takes into account factors such as the aging of the population, for example.
However, as
César A. Rodríguez
, president of the
Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM)
, has indicated to this medium , "mortality decreases and survival increases, since more than
60% of patients
are still alive at five years after diagnosis, a constant that has been reflected in recent decades, despite the fact that these rates are unequal depending on the different tumors.
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These figures are derived from the Report
Cancer figures in Spain 2024
, presented in Madrid and carried out with the collaboration of the
Spanish Network of Cancer Registries (Redecan)
, an entity chaired by
Jaume Galcerán
, in which professionals from both organizations have collected the most up-to-date data on the incidence, prevalence, survival and mortality of the most common cancers in our country, as well as an estimate for the coming years and even a comparison with some of the countries around us.
In the same presentation, those responsible for SEOM have announced the
Exercise against cancer
campaign , a social movement that aims to promote the practice of physical activity, both before suffering from cancer and in the treatment and follow-up phases.
The importance of making known the benefits of physical exercise in people who suffer from this disease can be summarized in a fact that Rodríguez summarizes: "It is considered that physical exercise could
prevent 5% of all cancers
, but the figure would rise to
30%
in cases of breast, colon and endometrium tumors, for example."
Returning to the cancer figures, Rodríguez has indicated that prostate, colon and lung
tumors
continue to be the majority in
men
, figures very similar to those of last year. In women,
breast, colon and lung
appear , in this order. Colon cancer remains the most common cancer in both sexes.
In this area, a study published today in
Annals of Oncology
warns of the increase in colorectal cancer in 2024 in young people, between
25 and 49 years old
, especially men, in the EU, a fact that has been attributed to an increase in obesity. , alcohol consumption and sedentary lifestyle.
LUNG CANCER: A WORRYING AND VERY Striking FACT
Although in Spain an increase of 5.5% is expected for this type of cancer and in this specific population, according to the aforementioned study, Rodríguez considers the data referring to
lung cancer
to be more striking and more relevant , a neoplasm that continues to be the first cause of death from cancer.
"While in the group of men there is a clear decrease in cases of lung cancer, due to the reduction in smoking,
in women
, the incidence of this tumor "
almost triples in 2024 compared to 2023.
"
There is a clear increase in lung cancer in women, both in incidence and mortality, clearly due to
women's incorporation into tobacco consumption
. Although consumption is even higher in men than in women, it is also true that a downward trend is observed in men compared to previous years. "Tobacco use is linked to 20% of all cancer cases and is responsible for more than 90% of lung cancer cases."
But, we must not forget that it is also
involved in the origin of tumors
such as those of the head and neck, urinary bladder, kidney, esophagus, pancreas, stomach, and colon and rectum, among others. It is, without a doubt,
the greatest risk factor for developing cancer
and "the most important thing and what we should put more emphasis on; is that one of the
risk factors that we consider avoidable
, along with alcohol, a sedentary lifestyle and inadequate diets," recalls Rodríguez.
In men, the decrease in lung and urinary bladder cancer can already be seen, precisely due to the reduction in tobacco consumption, while in women the incidence is increasing. "It is estimated that
20% of the male population smokes daily
, compared to almost
14% of women
." Taking into account the latency period between exposure to tobacco and the appearance of the tumor, the incidence of cancers associated with tobacco is still much higher in men. But, "it is more than likely that its incidence will continue to increase among women in the coming years," says the oncologist.
In Spain, the tumors responsible for the highest
number of deaths
continue to be lung, with 18.2% of total cancer deaths; colorectal, with 9.5%; liver, 8.4%; stomach, 7.8%; and breast, with 6.9%. According to the report presented, an increase in cancer mortality worldwide, as well as incidence, is expected in the coming years. In fact, more than 16 million people could
die in 2040
from cancer in the world. In Spain, it could go from 113,000 deaths in 2020 to more than 150,000 in 2040.
Regarding
survival
, in Spain it is similar to that of neighboring countries. It is estimated that
it has doubled in the last 40 years
and it is likely that, although slowly, it will continue to increase in the coming years thanks to new treatments and greater implementation of screening programs that, without a doubt, favor diagnosis in early stages. of the illness.