Publication at Faculty of Science |
2020
Abstract
Tobacco smoking is the major preventable cause of cancer. Despite the long-standing decline in smoking prevalence, lung cancer remains one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in both sexes.
The aim of the study was to estimate the cancer burden attributable to smoking in Europe in 2018 using the population attributable fraction. It has been estimated that 572,000 cancer cases among men and 186,000 cancer cases among women were attributable to tobacco smoking in 40 European countries in 2018, accounting for 28% (men) and 10% (women) of all cancer cases.
As tobacco smoking was responsible for one in five cancer cases, the introduction and robust implementation of tobacco control programmes are crucial to reduce the future cancer burden.