Colon cancer occurs when cancer grows in a person’s colon, this cancer type usually related to age and lifestyle factors. In 2018, the average number of people diagnosed with colon cancer in the EU28 was around 70.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
In 2018, colon cancer incidence ranged from 111.6 per 100,000 inhabitants in Hungary and 43 in Cyprus, with the EU28+EFTA average at 74.1.
In 2018, colorectal cancer mortality for women ranged from 14.8 per 100,000 in Cyprus to 43.5 in Hungary, with the EU28+EFTA average at 29.5. For men, mortality ranged from 24.3 per 100,000 in Luxembourg to 64.1 in Croatia, with the EU28+EFTA average at 38.2.
In 2010-2014, colorectal cancer 5-year survival rates ranged from 51% in Croatia to 68% in Belgium and Iceland. There is quite a clear pattern of higher survival rates in countries with higher GDP and lower rates in countries with lower GDP. Noteworthy exceptions to this pattern include the UK, Ireland and Denmark, which recorded lower rates than Slovenia.
Between 1995 and 2014, all countries recorded improvements. The biggest improvements were in Slovenia and Latvia (from a relatively low level) and in Germany (from a relatively high level).