Risk Factors and Preventive Measures for Lung Cancer in the European Union

Overview

Journal Epidemiologia (Basel)

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Public Health

Date 2024 Sep 23

PMID 39311354

Authors

Katharina Kehrle

Michael Hetjens

Svetlana Hetjens

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Lung cancer is worldwide one of the most common types of cancer with still very high mortality rates. The aim of this study was to identify and demonstrate correlations between lung cancer mortality rates and potential influencing factors in EU countries.

Methods: This retrospective study investigated the connections between the mortality rates in the EU countries (n = 28) and potential influencing factors. The significant factors from the correlation analysis were identified using a stepwise multiple regression analysis.

Results: The most important factors for both genders are the incidence of lung cancer, the price of tobacco, and the number of doctors per 100,000 inhabitants.

Conclusion: Lung cancer is a significant global health challenge. The study identified potential strategies for reducing the mortality rate from lung cancer. These strategies include an increase in the number of physicians, enhanced accessibility to cutting-edge antineoplastic medications, and state-funded coverage of the associated costs. It would be beneficial for politicians to consider implementing LDCT screening for the early detection of the disease. The implementation of uniform healthcare system optimization across the EU, combined with improvements in socio-economic conditions, has the potential to mitigate the risk of developing lung cancer.

References

Chaloupka F, Cummings K, Morley C, Horan J . Tax, price and cigarette smoking: evidence from the tobacco documents and implications for tobacco company marketing strategies. Tob Control. 2002; 11 Suppl 1:I62-72. PMC: 1766067. DOI: 10.1136/tc.11.suppl_1.i62. View

Iachina M, Anru P, Jakobsen E . Effects of Demographic and Socio-Economic Factors on Investigation Time of Lung Cancer Patients in Denmark: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Health Serv Res Manag Epidemiol. 2023; 10:23333928231206627. PMC: 10605680. DOI: 10.1177/23333928231206627. View

Bhaskaran K, Douglas I, Forbes H, Dos-Santos-Silva I, Leon D, Smeeth L . Body-mass index and risk of 22 specific cancers: a population-based cohort study of 5·24 million UK adults. Lancet. 2014; 384(9945):755-65. PMC: 4151483. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60892-8. View

Blum T, Rich A, Baldwin D, Beckett P, De Ruysscher D, Faivre-Finn C . The European initiative for quality management in lung cancer care. Eur Respir J. 2014; 43(5):1254-77. DOI: 10.1183/09031936.00106913. View

Becker N, Motsch E, Trotter A, Heussel C, Dienemann H, Schnabel P . Lung cancer mortality reduction by LDCT screening-Results from the randomized German LUSI trial. Int J Cancer. 2019; 146(6):1503-1513. DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32486. View

Huber R . [Lung cancer]. Internist (Berl). 2006; 47(6):611-20. DOI: 10.1007/s00108-006-1581-3. View

Spiro S, Gould M, Colice G . Initial evaluation of the patient with lung cancer: symptoms, signs, laboratory tests, and paraneoplastic syndromes: ACCP evidenced-based clinical practice guidelines (2nd edition). Chest. 2007; 132(3 Suppl):149S-160S. DOI: 10.1378/chest.07-1358. View

Alvarado-Luna G, Morales-Espinosa D . Treatment for small cell lung cancer, where are we now?-a review. Transl Lung Cancer Res. 2016; 5(1):26-38. PMC: 4758961. DOI: 10.3978/j.issn.2218-6751.2016.01.13. View

Klein F, Kotb W, Petersen I . Incidence of human papilloma virus in lung cancer. Lung Cancer. 2008; 65(1):13-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2008.10.003. View

10.

Basu S, Berkowitz S, Phillips R, Bitton A, Landon B, Phillips R . Association of Primary Care Physician Supply With Population Mortality in the United States, 2005-2015. JAMA Intern Med. 2019; 179(4):506-514. PMC: 6450307. DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.7624. View

11.

Maruthappu M, Watkins J, Mohd Noor A, Williams C, Ali R, Sullivan R . Economic downturns, universal health coverage, and cancer mortality in high-income and middle-income countries, 1990-2010: a longitudinal analysis. Lancet. 2016; 388(10045):684-95. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00577-8. View

12.

Goeckenjan G, Sitter H, Thomas M, Branscheid D, Flentje M, Griesinger F . [Prevention, diagnosis, therapy, and follow-up of lung cancer]. Pneumologie. 2010; 64 Suppl 2:e1-164. DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1243837. View

13.

Pfannschmidt J, Muley T, Hoffmann H, Bulzebruck H, Dienemann H . [Prognosis after complete surgical resection for non-small cell lung cancer based on the staging classification]. Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 2006; 131(47):2643-8. DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-956268. View

14.

Vainieri M, Caputo A, Vinci A . Resilience dimensions in health system performance assessments, European Union. Bull World Health Organ. 2024; 102(7):498-508. PMC: 11197634. DOI: 10.2471/BLT.23.291102. View

15.

Zhao Y, Xie X, de Koning H, Mali W, Vliegenthart R, Oudkerk M . NELSON lung cancer screening study. Cancer Imaging. 2011; 11 Spec No A:S79-84. PMC: 3266562. DOI: 10.1102/1470-7330.2011.9020. View

16.

Hirsch F, Sequist L, Gore I, Mooradian M, Simon G, Croft E . Long-term safety and survival with gefitinib in select patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: Results from the US IRESSA Clinical Access Program (ICAP). Cancer. 2018; 124(11):2407-2414. DOI: 10.1002/cncr.31313. View

17.

Mavridis K, Michaelidou K . The obesity paradox in lung cancer: is there a missing biological link?. J Thorac Dis. 2019; 11(Suppl 3):S363-S366. PMC: 6424778. DOI: 10.21037/jtd.2018.12.69. View

18.

Tammemagi C, Pinsky P, Caporaso N, Kvale P, Hocking W, Church T . Lung cancer risk prediction: Prostate, Lung, Colorectal And Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial models and validation. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2011; 103(13):1058-68. PMC: 3131220. DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djr173. View

19.

Redondo-Sanchez D, Fernandez-Navarro P, Rodriguez-Barranco M, Nunez O, Petrova D, Garcia-Torrecillas J . Socio-economic inequalities in lung cancer mortality in Spain: a nation-wide study using area-based deprivation. Int J Equity Health. 2023; 22(1):145. PMC: 10399030. DOI: 10.1186/s12939-023-01970-y. View

20.

Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel R, Laversanne M, Soerjomataram I, Jemal A . Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2021; 71(3):209-249. DOI: 10.3322/caac.21660. View