Cancer may soon be the leading cause of death

Hospital, Lung CancerHospital.Photo: pixabay.com

Recent figures from the Cause of Death Registry reveal that cancer is beginning to overtake cardiovascular disease as the number one killer in Norway.

On a National level, the most frequent causes of death in 2015 were still cardiovascular disease, but cancer is about to take over the top spot.

Last year there were around 11,600 deaths (28.5 percent) as a result of cardiovascular disease, while around 11,000 (27.2 percent) deaths were caused by cancer.

– This is partly due to the fact that fewer die from cardiovascular disease, while the number of deaths due to cancer remain fairly stable, says Dr. Christian Lycke Ellingsen from the Death Registry.

In the counties of Akershus, Buskerud, Vest-Fold, Aust-Agder, Vest-Agder, Rogaland and Nordland cancer is the leading cause of death.

The death rate figures from nursing homes and other nursing and care institutions are now 27.6 percent from cancer, while 26.6 percent die of cardiovascular disease.

– Among the largest type of cancer groups, there has been a slight decrease in mortality due to breast and prostate cancer, but otherwise there has been little change.

While Dr. Lycke Ellingsen points out that we have seen a decline in mortality from cardiovascular diseases since the early 1970’s.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today