Exposure to pollution causes 10% of all cancer cases in Europe
Exposure to air pollution, second-hand smoke, radon, ultraviolet radiation, asbestos, certain chemicals and other pollutants causes over 10% of all cancer cases in Europe, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report published today. The good news is that these risks are preventable.
Pollutants in the environment and at the workplace, as well as some natural risks, have a huge impact on our health, and in some cases lead to cancer, according to the EEA web report ‘Beating cancer — the role of Europe’s environment‘. With nearly 3 million new patients and 1.3 million deaths each year across the European Union, cancer takes a huge toll on our society. The economic costs are also enormous, estimated at around EUR 178 billion in 2018 alone.
Most of these environmental and occupational cancer risks can be reduced by preventing pollution and changing behaviours, according to the EEA study. Reducing exposure to these risks offers an effective and cost-effective way of reducing cancer cases and associated deaths.
For the first time, the EEA investigated the links between cancer and the environment, reviewing the latest scientific evidence on air pollution, radon, ultraviolet radiation, second-hand smoke and chemicals. The report estimates that environmental and occupational risks lie behind around 10% of cancer cases in Europe.
