Cancer statistics in Croatia and the world

What are the most common types of cancer? Cancer in the world: In 2018, a total of 17 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed worldwide. The most common types of cancer in the world are lung, breast, colon and prostate cancer, and these 4 types account for over 40% of all cases. According to projections, by 2040 there will be 27.5 million newly diagnosed oncological patients per year. Looking at mortality, 9.6 million people died from cancer in the world in 2018. Most people died from lung, liver, stomach and colon cancer, which together account for over 40% of all cancer deaths that year. Generally speaking, cancer is the second cause of death in developed countries (and in Croatia as well), right after cardiovascular diseases.

Figure 1. The most common types of cancer in men in Croatia in 2018. Reference: Hrvatski zavod za javno zdravstvo, Registar za rak Republike Hrvatske. Incidencija raka u Hrvatskoj 2017., Bilten 42, Zagreb, 2020.

Figure 2. The most common types of cancer in women in Croatia in 2018. Reference: Hrvatski zavod za javno zdravstvo, Registar za rak Republike Hrvatske. Incidencija raka u Hrvatskoj 2017., Bilten 42, Zagreb, 2020.

Cancer in Croatia: Data on cancer incidence (new cases) and mortality (death rates) are collected by the Croatian Cancer Registry, which operates within the Croatian Institute of Public Health. The data are published regularly and are publicly available. According to the latest published data for 2018, the most common types of cancer in men were prostate, lung and colon cancer, and in women breast, colon and lung cancer (Figure 1 and Figure 2). For more detailed data on cancer incidence and mortality in Croatia in 2018, see the official bulletin of the Croatian Cancer Registry at the link .

Additional interesting facts

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world , right after cardiovascular diseases. Worldwide, as many as 1 in 6 people die from cancer, and according to data, the numbers are expected to continue to rise.

The country with the highest rate of new cancer cases in the world according to recent data is, believe it or not, Australia , for both sexes. The age-standardized cancer rate in Australia is 468 per 100,000 people per year, largely due to the large increase in skin cancer due to increased exposure to sunlight.

Related articles:

Risk factors for cancer.

Do you need more information on this topic? Contact us.