Research reveals the economic burden of colorectal cancer across Europe New research led by Queen’s University Belfast has found that colorectal cancer costs Europe a staggering €19.1 billion (£16.3 billion) per year. This figure includes direct expenditure as well as indirect costs including premature death and sick leave. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in Europe, with one European dying of colorectal cancer every three minutes. In the UK, over 16,000 people die of this common disease every year. This new research demonstrates the tremendous economic burden that colorectal cancer places on health systems, patients and their families, and highlights the significant inequalities that European colorectal cancer patients experience, depending on where they live.