More than 430,000 new cancers are diagnosed each year in France. The National Cancer Institute publishes the figures for 2024.
The number of cancers continues to increase in France, confirms the National Cancer Institute in its annual Panorama of cancers published in September 2024. Today, more than 433,000 new cases are recorded per year. Demographic change is the primary cause. The increase and aging of the population explain 78% of the increase in the incidence of cancer in men and 57% in women. L’middle age of cancer diagnosis for men is 70 years and 68 years for women. Every year, 162,400 people die from cancer in France.
What is the most common cancer in women?
Female cancers represent 43% of new cases of cancer each year in France. Their number increased by 104% between 1990 and 2023. The three most common cancers in women are:
- breast cancer (33% of cancers in women): 61,214 cases, +0.3% between 1990 and 2023
- colorectal cancer (11% of female cancers): 21,370 cases, +0.4%
- lung cancer (10% of female cancers): 19,339 cases, +4.3%
“Tobacco consumption, which began in the 70s/80s among women, is today the major consequence of these cancers” informs the Inca. . Among women, two cancers in particular are showing a worrying increase: lung cancer and pancreatic cancer.
What is the most common cancer in men?
Male cancers represent 57% of new cases of cancer each year in France. Their number increased by 98% between 1990 and 2023. The three most common cancers in men are:
- prostate cancer (24%): 59,885 cases, -1.1%
- lung cancer (14%): 33,438 cases, -0.5%
- colorectal cancer (11%): 26,212 cases, -0.5%
What is the most common cancer in children and adolescents?
Every year in France, 1800 cases of cancer are diagnosed in children. The most common cancers in the 0-14 age group are:
- leukemia (28%)
- central nervous system tumors (26%)
- lymphomas (10%)
The most common cancers in the 15-17 age group (443 new cases per year) are:
- lymphomas (29%)
- central nervous system tumors (17%)
- leukemia (15%)
The National Cancer Institute recalls that “the prevention of avoidable cancer risk factors and screening, priority objectives of the ten-year strategy to combat cancer, are two essential weapons in the fight against the disease“. Prevention involves changing your lifestyle habits: stopping smoking, reducing your alcohol consumption, having a balanced and varied diet, practicing regular physical activity; and doing your screenings. participation in organized cancer screenings remains insufficient. As the Inca maintains, “greater participation of the population in organized national screening programs could help reduce the incidence of cancer (thanks to screening for precancerous lesions) but also the number of deaths (thanks to early detection)”.
- Panorama of cancers in France – 2023 edition, INCa