Iceland has relatively low cancer incidence and mortality rates compared to other EU+2 countries. Among men, incidence rates are the third lowest, while women's rates are slightly higher than the EU average. Over the past decade, cancer mortality has decreased substantially.
Risk Factors and Prevention Policies:
- The population generally has low risk factors for cancer, but rates of overweight and obesity are high, with socio-economic gaps being relatively small. Fruit consumption is low.
- Smoking rates have declined over recent decades, reaching the lowest rate in EU+2 countries, but e-cigarette use is relatively high, especially among young adults and women.
- Alcohol consumption is low, but repeated drunkenness has slightly increased among 15-year-olds.
- Iceland has the highest HPV vaccination rate among EU+2 countries.
Early Detection:
- Iceland has long-standing cervical and breast cancer screening programmes with high participation rates, although co-pays are required.
- Cervical cancer screening rates are higher than the EU average but lower among foreign-born women and in some regions.
- Breast cancer screening rates have declined during the COVID-19 pandemic but are showing signs of recovery.
- Iceland is preparing to introduce a population-based colorectal cancer screening programme.
Cancer Care Performance:
- Specialised cancer care is centralised, but geographical access is ensured through decentralised chemotherapy and follow-up care.
- Financial barriers exist since patients need to pay for certain primary care services.
- Securing a stable cancer care workforce is challenging due to the small population size.
- Access to new oncology medicines is ensured, but biosimilar coverage is low and the process lengthy.
- A range of supportive information, rehabilitation, financial support, and palliative care is available for cancer patients.
Key Data:
- Cancer incidence rate: 580 new cases per 100,000 men and 521 per 100,000 women in 2022.
- Cancer mortality rate: 217 deaths per 100,000 population in 2021, 8% lower than the EU average.
- Avoidable mortality rates for breast cancer increased in Iceland between 2011 and 2021, reaching the second highest rate in EU+2 countries.
- Cancer prevalence in Iceland is lower than the EU average, at 1,569 per 100,000 population in 2022.
- The share of the population aged 65 years and over is 9.1%, lower than the EU average.
- Health expenditure as a % of GDP is 3.542%, higher than the EU average.
Research Conclusions:
- Improving breast and colorectal cancer screening uptake, and access to and quality of cancer care are important to reduce the disease burden in Iceland.
- Additional policies to tackle obesity and further reduce smoking and alcohol consumption could contribute to reduced cancer incidence.
- Securing healthcare professionals and ensuring timely access to cancer care remain challenges.
- The burden of cancer on health spending is expected to be higher than the EU average over the next few decades.
- Cancer is expected to take a toll on life expectancy and mental health in Iceland, but the impact is lower compared to most EU+2 countries.
- A broad range of supportive information, rehabilitation, financial support, and palliative care is available for cancer patients.
