An average of 1,100 people die of cancer in Luxembourg each year. It is the most common cause of death among males. The Ministry of Health released these figures ahead of World Cancer Day, which also marks the day Paulette Lenert takes over the role of Minister of Health from Etienne Schneider.
40% of cancer deaths could be avoided with lifestyle changes such as giving up smoking and excessive drinking, and adopting a healthier diet. In this light, the Ministry of Health stressed that an ounce of prevention can indeed be worth a pound a cure.
Last year saw the advent of the second national cancer plan, which promotes the digitisation and storage of accessible data and their exchange through information technologies. The action plan also capitalises on genetic research conducted at the National Center of Genetics. The scope of the action plan is fundamentally intertwined with the national tobacco, mammography, and colorectal cancer plans.
Luxembourg records around 3,000 new cases of cancer per year. The difficult treatment of the disease and its many side effects continue to take a physical and psychological toll on the patients and their families.
As noted above, around 1,100 patients die of cancer in Luxembourg per year. Breast cancer remains the most dangerous cancer in women - an average of 82 women are killed by the disease each year. Among males, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death. An average of 151 male patients die from lung cancer every year. The second most fatal type of cancer is colorectal cancer.
The cancer.lu website provides valuable information about early detection, treatments, and other cancer-related questions.
