drafting international, 29 feb ( EFE).-in 2012 there will be nearly 1.3 million deaths from cancer in the European Union ( EU), a Figure that while it is more that five years ago due to the ageing of the population, would mean a fall in real between 7 and 10 per cent compared with 2007.

So predicts it a study conducted by researchers from the universities of Milan and Switzerland in Lausanne published today in the Journal Annals of Oncology, also noted a significant decline in deaths for women breast cancer.

According to the study, the rate of cancer mortality in the EU in 2012 will be of 139 per 100,000 in men (717.398) and 85 per 100,000 in women (565.703), in comparison with the figures recorded in 2007 by the world health organization representing a reduction of 10 per cent among males and 7 per cent among females.

Except an increase in mortality for lung cancer in women (+ 7%) and cancer of the pancreas in both sexes, reducing deaths from cancer of the stomach, bowel, prostate, breast, uterus, and leukemia, according to the study.

One of its most striking conclusions is a significant decline of nine percent in deaths from breast cancer, which is even larger, of the 13 percent, among women aged 20-49.

This shows that important advances in treatments are responsible for this decrease and not regular mammograms, usually restricted to women between 50 and 70 years in the majority of European countries, told Efe one of the main authors, Professor Carlo La Vecchia, of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Milan.

“The linear extrapolation of these recent trends indicates that the declines will probably persist in the near future,” he added.

However, breast cancer remains the leading cause of death of women with this disease in the EU (15 per cent of the total).

Due to changes in the habits of smoking – they tend to stop smoking and them to smoke more and more-, deaths from lung cancer will continue to grow among women in the EU – the mortality rate shall be 13,44 per 100,000 in 2012, while they will decline among men, says the study.

However, lung cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease among men, with a mortality rate of 37.2 per 100,000 this year. Still, that figure is 10 per cent lower than that recorded by the who in 2007.

La Vecchia is “worrying” increase in deaths both provided for pancreatic cancer in women (of 5.24 in 2007 to 5,38 per 100,000) and men (of the 7,86 to 8,01 per 100,000).

“This is a surprise for men,” said, to emphasize that every time there is less male smokers and smoking and overweight are two of the main risk factors for this disease.

According to another author, Professor Fabio Levi of the University of Lausanne, the fall in mortality rates from six of the major cancers in the EU “is a reflection of the cessation of smoking in men and the continuous progress in the prevention, early detection and treatment of cancer”.

Researchers used data on deaths from cancer in the EU during the period 1970-2007 to calculate the annual mortality rate and the trends reflected in the study, an instrument considered crucial to define priorities in the prevention and treatment of the disease. EFE