Medical experts had predicted cancer deaths in the European Union would rise to 1.03 million, but the number is closer to 940,500, according to the latest figures from the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, Italy.

"Although we fell short of our ambitious target, the reductions are noteworthy," said Professor Peter Boyle, the director of epidemiology and biostatistics at the institute.

"With few exceptions most countries are experiencing declining trends in cancer death rates, which seem set to continue, at least in the near future," he added in a statement.

The Europe Against Cancer program was launched in 1985 to combat the disease. In 1986 it prepared a detailed action plan to cut the expected number of cancer deaths by 15 percent by 2000.

Although the number of deaths over 15 years has risen by 12 percent in men and nine percent in women, the increase is only about half of what researchers had expected.

Luxembourg had the biggest decline in expected deaths with a 24 percent decrease, followed by Finland, Britain, Austria, the Netherlands and Italy.

Portugal with 17 percent and Spain with 11 percent had the biggest gains in the research reported in the journal Annals of Oncology.

Austria, Finland and Luxembourg had the most effective program for reducing expected cancer deaths in women and Greece and Portugal had slight increases.

Boyle stressed that smoking had a major impact on the Europe Against Cancer program missing its target.

"Nine out of 15 countries experienced declines of more than 10 percent in risk of death from all forms of cancer when lung cancer was excluded," Boyle said.

"However, the risk of dying from lung cancer in women increased substantially in every country," he added.

Reference Source 89

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