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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57187/5257

Original article

Vol. 156 No. 11 (2026)

Complete cancer prevalence in Switzerland in 2025: a population-based study using registry data

Cite this as:
Swiss Med Wkly. 2026;156:5257
Published
03.11.2026

Summary

INTRODUCTION: The number of individuals living with a prior cancer diagnosis has increased steadily worldwide over recent decades. This increasing prevalence places substantial demands on healthcare systems to address the diverse healthcare needs of cancer survivors, particularly long-term survivors. The primary objective of this study was to estimate complete cancer prevalence in Switzerland as of the end of 2025 and to examine trends over the past two decades.

METHODS: Population-based data from the National Agency for Cancer Registration was used, including incidence years 1980–2021 and all primary malignant cancer diagnoses, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer. Complete prevalence was estimated using modelled completeness indexes based on Swiss data for 34 cancer reporting groups and on EUROCARE-6 data for 11 sex-specific cancer reporting groups. For one cancer group, only the Swiss empirical completeness index was available. Average annual percentage changes (AAPC) in cancer prevalence counts were calculated for major cancer types.

RESULTS: By the end of 2025, an estimated 242,260 men (5.4% of the male population) and 253,040 women (5.6% of the female population) in Switzerland were living with a previous cancer diagnosis. Among men, 24% were classified as long-term survivors (5–10 years after diagnosis) and 40% as very long-term survivors (>10 years after diagnosis); the corresponding proportions among women were 22% and 49%, respectively. Between 2005 and 2025, cancer prevalence increased annually by 3.6% in men and 3.0% in women, resulting in an almost 2-fold increase in the number of prevalence cases. Both complete and limited-duration prevalence, as well as AAPCs, varied by cancer type and age group.

CONCLUSIONS: The implemented methodologies provide a basis for regularly updated cancer prevalence estimates in Switzerland. The findings offer essential evidence to support policy-makers and healthcare planners in developing strategies to manage the growing cancer burden and to address the heterogeneous needs of cancer survivor populations.

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