The 10th edition of the volume "Cancer numbers in Italy" has been published, the result of the consolidated collaboration between AIOM and AIRTum, in addition to the AIOM Foundation, PASSI, PASSI d’Argento and the Italian Society of Pathological Anatomy and Diagnostic Cytology.
There are 377 thousand new cancer diagnoses expected this year in our country, 195 thousand in men and 182 thousand in women (in 2019 they were 196 thousand and 175 thousand respectively). An estimated 6,000 more cases are therefore estimated; compared to last year, charged to women.
The largest tumor frequently diagnosed, in 2020, is breast cancer (54,976, equal to 14.6% of all new diagnoses), followed by colorectal (43,702), lung (40,882), prostate (36,074) and bladder (25,492).
In particular, in women, the worrying growth of lung cancer continues (+ 3.4% per year), linked to the habit of cigarette smoking, the main cancer risk factor. On the other side, there's the colorectal "case", in sharp decline in both sexes, thanks to the effectiveness of screening programs. In 2020, the incidence rates of this neoplasm are down by 20% compared to the peak of 2013.
Considering all cancers, the effectiveness of prevention campaigns and innovative therapies determines an overall increase in the number of people alive after diagnosis: they are about 3.6 million (3,609,135, 5.7% of the entire population), an increase of 37% compared to 10 years ago.
At least one in four patients (nearly one million people) has returned to the same life expectancy as the general population and can be considerd cured.
Another important fact & # 232; that relating to the overall reduction in mortality rates & # 224; estimated in 2020 compared to 2015: they are decreasing in both men (-6%) and women (-4.2%), thanks to the progress made in diagnosis and treatments.
Read the report "Cancer numbers in Italy 2020" - version for operators | version for patients and citizens