Cancer epidemiology studies the impact of cancer on the population.
The frequency of tumors is described as an incidence, that is, the number of new diagnoses over a period of time - generally a year - and as a prevalence, that is, the number of cases alive on a certain date. The outcome of the disease is studied in terms of mortality (number of deaths per cancer per year) and survival (probability of surviving as the temporal distance increases from diagnosis).
Epidemiology is essential to evaluate the effectiveness of cancer prevention policies, the identification of risk factors and the progress achieved in early diagnosis and cancer treatment.
