EU Women's Lung Cancer Deaths Finally Leveling Off in 2026

For the first time in a generation, European women are seeing a turning point in the fight against lung cancer.

New research predicts that lung cancer death rates among women in EU countries will finally level off in 2026 after climbing steadily for more than 25 years. The stabilization comes as decades of tobacco control policies begin showing results, with death rates holding steady at around 12.5 deaths per 100,000 women.

The study, led by Professor Carlo La Vecchia at the University of Milan, analyzed cancer mortality data across 27 EU nations and the UK. Their predictions have proven reliable year after year, offering a clear picture of where Europe stands in its cancer fight.

The UK is seeing even better news. Death rates from lung cancer among British women are predicted to fall by 13.4% compared to 2020-2022, continuing a downward trend that started years ago.

The pattern tells a story about smoking habits across generations and borders. Men everywhere started smoking earlier than women, which explains why male lung cancer rates have been declining longer. American and British women picked up smoking earlier than most European women but also quit sooner, leading to earlier improvements.

Spain remains the one exception to the positive trend. Female lung cancer deaths there will continue rising by 2.4% in 2026, though from relatively low starting numbers. Spanish and French women started smoking later than women in other countries and have been slower to quit.

The Bright Side

The bigger picture reveals stunning progress. Since 1988, approximately 7.3 million cancer deaths have been avoided in the EU and 1.5 million in the UK. Among men alone, 1.8 million lung cancer deaths were prevented during that time.

Overall cancer death rates continue falling across Europe. The EU expects declines of 7.8% for men and 5.9% for women compared to 2020-2022. The UK projects even steeper drops of 11.25% for men and 7.25% for women.

Even pancreatic cancer, which had been climbing, has leveled off. Researchers credit improvements in controlling occupational and environmental carcinogens for this encouraging shift.

Professor Eva Negri from the University of Bologna emphasized what these numbers mean. "Tobacco control remains the cornerstone of lung cancer prevention," she said, noting that policies limiting tobacco use have prevented millions of smoking-related deaths across Europe.

The findings prove that public health policies work when given time. While enforcement remains uneven across different countries, the overall trajectory shows that determined efforts to reduce smoking save lives on a massive scale.

After decades of watching lung cancer deaths climb among women, Europe has reached a genuine milestone worth celebrating.