title: Recent trends in incidence of five common cancers in 26 European countries since 1988: Analysis of the European Cancer Observatory.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Individual country- and cancer site-specific studies suggest that the age-adjusted incidence of many common cancers has increased in European populations over the past two decades. To quantify the extent of these trends and the recent burden of cancer, here we present a comprehensive overview of trends in population-based incidence of the five common cancers across Europe derived from a new web-based portal of the European cancer registries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on incidence for cancers of the colon and rectum, prostate, breast, corpus uteri and stomach diagnosed from 1988 to 2008 were obtained from the European Cancer Observatory for cancer registries from 26 countries. Annual age-standardised incidence rates and average annual percentage changes were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Incidence of four common cancers in eastern and central European countries (prostate, postmenopausal breast, corpus uteri and colorectum) started to approach levels in northern and western Europe, where rates were already high in the past but levelled off in some countries in recent years. Decreases in stomach cancer incidence were seen in all countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increasing trends in incidence of the most common cancers, except stomach cancer, are bad news to public health but can largely be explained by well-known changes in society in the past decades. Thus, current and future efforts in primary cancer prevention should not only remain focussed on the further reduction of smoking but engage in the long-term efforts to retain healthy lifestyles, especially avoiding excess weight through balanced diets and regular physical exercise.
authors.affiliation: Section of Cancer Information, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France. Electronic address: arnoldm@fellows.iarc.fr.
authors.forename: Melina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.affiliation: Erasmus University Medical Center, Department of Public Health, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Henrike E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Karim-Kos
authors.affiliation: Erasmus University Medical Center, Department of Public Health, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Comprehensive Cancer Centre South, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan Willem
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Coebergh
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Byrnes
authors.affiliation: Mass Screening Registry, Finnish Cancer Registry, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Ahti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antilla
authors.affiliation: Section of Cancer Information, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferlay
authors.affiliation: The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Faculty Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrew G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Renehan
authors.affiliation: Section of Cancer Information, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Forman
authors.affiliation: Section of Cancer Information, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Soerjomataram
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012744:Sex Ratio; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Cancer registry; Europe/epidemiology; Neoplasms; Public health surveillance; Trends