L’explosion du nombre de cas de cancer : une menace pour le Luxembourg

Is cancer a fate? No, assured Health Minister Martine Deprez (CSV) ahead of World Cancer Day on Sunday. “It is important to be aware of the risk factors highlighted by science and to act together to adopt a healthy and balanced lifestyle (…) It is a glimmer of hope that encourages us to continue to act actively to protect our health,” she stated.

Among the good habits to adopt, not smoking, reducing alcohol consumption or sun exposure, eating balanced meals, and exercising are essential elements. According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, 19% of deaths from tumors could have been prevented simply by preventive measures.

Because cancer remains one of the two main causes of death in Luxembourg each year, along with cardiovascular diseases. In 2022, 1099 people died from cancer, accounting for 25% of deaths in the country. Among men, lung cancer is the most deadly (109 cases), followed by prostate cancer (47 deaths) and pancreatic cancer (46 deaths). For women, breast cancer (105 deaths) exceeds lung cancer (81 deaths) and pancreatic cancer (52 deaths).

The message of hope and resilience from the minister follows much less optimistic revelations from the WHO, which expects a 77% increase in cancer cases by 2050, mainly due to tobacco, alcohol, and diet.

As a heavy consumer of meat, alcohol, and cigarettes, Luxembourg ranks poorly in these areas. Moreover, with an increasingly aging population.

Should we expect an explosion in the number of tumors in the next 25 years? This is what health authorities want to avoid with multiple prevention initiatives, but also improvements in terms of care. The ministry plans to work on the quality of care, information sharing, the availability of medications, and the development of oncology specialties.