Jennifer Mendoza
Research expert covering health, pharma and medtech
Cancer in Italy - Statistics & Facts
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Italy, and every day hundreds of people receive a new diagnosis of cancer in the country. The most frequent type of cancer among men is prostate cancer, with more than 41 thousand new cases in 2023, followed by lung and colorectal cancer. While for women, the most common type of cancer is breast cancer, with almost 56 thousand cases in 2023, followed by colorectal and lung cancer. Lombardy is the most populous region in Italy as well as the region with the highest number of new cancer cases for both genders. Screening for cancer, especially among older adults, is vital in detecting cancer before it spreads. However, the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to a decrease in cancer screenings in Italy. For example, between January and May, breast cancer screenings decreased by almost 54 percent in 2020 in respect of the previous year.
