Greece first in rate of new diagnoses of Hodgkin's lymphoma

The incidence rate for Hodgkin's lymphoma in Greece was the highest globally at 5.3 per 100,000 people in 2016, while the worldwide average was one new case per 100,000 people, according to a new global cancer study covering 195 countries over the period 1990-2016 and published in the American Journal of oncology "JAMA Oncology."

However, although the highest number of new incidents was recorded in Greece, the highest number of people dying from Hodgkin's lymphoma was recorded in Afghanistan (2.2 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants).

The study showed that lung and colon cancers were the leading causes of cancer death in the world. These two cancers, as well as skin cancer, are associated with people's lifestyle and attitudes and have shown an increasing trend over the last decade. On the other hand, there are several cancers triggered by infections caused by microorganisms (cervix, stomach etc.).

In 2016, 17.2 million cases of all types of cancer were diagnosed worldwide, showing an increase of 28 pct, compared to ten years ago, while there were 8.9 million deaths due to cancer. In most countries between 2006-2016 there is a reduction in cancer mortality, but an increase in incidence rate.

Breast cancer remains the leading cause of death from cancer in women, while lung cancer is the leading cause in men. Lung cancer is the No. 1 cause of cancer death worldwide, with nearly 20 pct of all cancer deaths in 2016.