Health at a Glance: Europe 2012
This second edition of Health at a Glance: Europe presents a set of key indicators of health status, determinants of health, health care resources and activities, quality of care, health expenditure and financing in 35 European countries, including the 27 European Union member states, 5 candidate countries and 3 EFTA countries. The selection of indicators is based largely on the European Community Health Indicators (ECHI) shortlist, a set of indicators that has been developed to guide the reporting of health statistics in the European Union. It is complemented by additional indicators on health expenditure and quality of care, building on the OECD expertise in these areas. Each indicator is presented in a user-friendly format, consisting of charts illustrating variations across countries and over time, a brief descriptive analysis highlighting the major findings conveyed by the data, and a methodological box on the definition of the indicator and any limitations in data comparability.
Screening, survival and mortality for colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in Europe, with over 432 000 new cases diagnosed each year. By 2020, annual incidence is expected to rise to 502 000 cases (IARC, 2011). The annual incidence rate varies from 21 new cases per 100 000 population in Greece to 64 new cases in the Czech Republic. There are several factors that place certain individuals at increased risk for the disease, including age, the presence of polyps, ulcerative colitis, a diet high in fat and genetic background. Furthermore, males are at higher risk of developing colorectal cancer than females (IARC, 2011).