Significant increase in cancer cases in Belgium
It has been reported that cancer cases in Belgium increased by 31 percent over the 15-year period between 2004 and 2019.
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According to research by the Institute for Sustainable Development in Belgium, the number of cancer cases in the country rose from 61 thousand 524 in 2004 to 84 thousand 954 in 2019, marking a 31 percent increase.
Statistics for 2020 and 2021 were excluded from certain parts of the study due to the state of hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic and the decrease in the number of people visiting hospitals.
Institute President Philippe Defeyt attributed the rise in the number of cancer patients largely to changes in the population structure. Reminding that Belgium's population grew by 1.13 million people, or 10 percent, between 2004 and 2021, Defeyt also emphasized that the population is increasingly aging.
Defeyt stated, "If the population is growing and the proportion of elderly people is also rising, the increase in cancer cases should not surprise us."
The institute's research indicated that the rate of cancer detection in individuals under 55 years of age has been below 1 percent over the last 3 years. Conversely, it was noted that the risk of cancer increases as age rises, and this is reflected in the statistics.
According to the research, the incidence of cancer in 65-year-old men was 2.24 percent, while it was 1.41 percent in women. The cancer rate in men reaching their 80s rose to 4 percent.
When examining cancer types, it was revealed that the number of breast cancer cases, the most common type in women, remained unchanged. Breast cancer cases, recorded at 10 thousand 929 in the 2004-2005 period, increased by only 13 to reach 10 thousand 942 in the 2020-2021 period.
Skin cancer cases increased by 138 percent in women and 130 percent in men. Prostate cancer, the most common type in men, decreased by 16 percent, while pancreatic cancer increased by 50 percent. In women, the number of pancreatic cancer cases rose by 72 percent.
The number of people diagnosed with lung cancer increased by 86 percent in women, while it fell by 20 percent in men. The rise in lung cancer among women was attributed to the increase in the number of women who smoke.