Massive drop in stomach cancer deaths across Europe

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 03 Feb 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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Figures for stomach cancer deaths (1980-1999) show a sharp drop across Europe.

In the European Union the death rate fell 50%, Eastern Europe 45% and Russia 40%.

According to an article in Annals of Oncology, the decline will continue into the near future.

Rates of stomach cancer vary a great deal. In Russia stomach cancer rates are five times higher than in Scandinavia (or France).

Eastern Europe and Mediterranean rates are higher than in Western Europe.

In the year 2000 more than 92,000 people died of stomach cancer (in Europe).

A team of researchers from Italy, Spain and Switzerland, examined data on stomach cancer from 25 different countries.

Fewer deaths

They found that deaths from the disease fell in every country they looked at between 1980 and 1999.

The biggest drop was in Russia. However, it had high rates of the disease to begin with and still has one of the highest rates in Europe.

In 1999, 32 out of every 100,000 men and 13 out of every 100,000 women in Russia died of stomach cancer.

This compares to Denmark where 5 out of every 100,000 men and 2 out of every 100,000 women died from the disease in 1999. Denmark has the lowest rates of stomach cancer in Europe.

Professor Fabio Levi, who is based at the Institut Universitaire de médecine sociale et préventive in Lausanne, Switzerland, said if the fall continued as predicted there would be up to 15,000 fewer deaths from stomach cancer this decade.

'We are seeing a steady and persistent fall in rates across various major geographical areas of the continent and there is little systematic indication of it levelling off over the most recent years, indicating that the decrease is likely to continue in the near future.

'In fact, if anything, the downward trend has been even steeper over the most recent calendar period.'

Varied diet

Scientists do not know for sure why rates of stomach cancer have fallen so sharply in recent decades. They believe a number of factors are involved.

'These include a more varied and affluent diet and better food conservation, including refrigeration,' said Professor Carlo La Vacchia, from the Instituto Mario Negri in Milan, who was also involved in the study.

'In addition, there is better control of Helicobacter pylori infection - a bacterium linked to stomach cancer - and reduced levels of smoking, at least in men.

Dr Tim Key, an epidemiologist with Cancer Research UK, welcomed the study.

'This is good news. Twenty-five years ago stomach cancer was the commonest cancer in the world,' he said.

'The causes of stomach cancer are complex, but people can help to reduce their risk by not smoking and by eating fresh fruits and vegetables.'