This contributed volume addresses the link between the social environment and cancer in Europe. The authors document the wide range and diverse trends in cancer incidence and patient survival in Europe, and they identify the main mechanisms and key influences that underlie these inequalities. They suggest a series of actions and programmes to tackle these inequalities in Europe, within the conceptual framework of intervention research.

The influence of the social environment on the risk of suffering and dying from cancer is obviously a global phenomenon, as evidenced by a growing number of studies and books. In part, the underlying mechanisms are universal.