Recent figures show that the number of prostate and breast cancer diagnoses are lower in Wallonia and Brussels than in Flanders.
Statistiek Vlaanderen, the Flemish Government's statistical body, has revealed their most recent data on both forms of cancer in the nation, that dates back to 2020.
For prostate cancer, the most common affliction amongst men, there were fewer diagnoses in 2020 in the French-speaking part of the country. The lowest being in the region of Brussels where 94 new cases were recorded per 100,000 men, compared to 144 in Wallonia and 201 in the Flemish region.
However, despite Flanders boasting the highest rates of prostate cancer diagnoses in the country, the steady increase in new cases that had been observed since 2013 has not happened in the latest figures from 2020.
That being said, a sharp increase in the number of cases has been noticed among Belgian men between the ages of 50 and 54.
Related News
- World Sepsis Day: Calls for more efforts to combat the condition in Belgium
- Lung cancer: Air pollution 'ignites' cell mutations
- Covid-19 was most common cause of death in 2020 in Flanders
With regards to breast cancer, the most common form of cancer amongst women, the differences between the regions of the country are less significant.
In the capital, 148 new cases were detected among 100,000 women, compared to 175 in Wallonia and 188 in the north of the country.
This number especially increased among women in their thirties, but the most affected are still those aged between 65 and 84.