More middle-aged people surviving cancer

Fewer middle-aged people are dying from cancer than at any point in 25 years, though cases are rising due to factors such as obesity, researchers say.

A new study from Cancer Research UK and published in the British Medical Journal found death rates from the disease among those aged 35 to 69 have plummeted, thanks to screening, better treatments and policies aimed at cutting smoking.

The study found that, overall, death rates have dropped by 37 per cent in men and by 33 per cent in women over the 25 years, when accounting for the growing and ageing population.

However, the UK-wide study warns that improvements in survival are slowing down, while cancer cases are rising, with a 57 per cent jump in men and a 48 per cent jump in women over the 25-year period.

In 1993, 55,014 cancer cases were registered in men, but this rose to 86,297 in 2018, while in women the rise was from 60,187 to 88,970. The researchers said the increases were mainly driven by rises in prostate and breast cancer, in part thanks to tests and screening, though there were also “concerning” rises in melanoma, liver, oral and kidney cancers.

Cancer cases are also rising due to a growing population, factors such as obesity, drinking too much and being inactive, they said. Cancer Research UK said that, if action were taken against smoking, being overweight and obesity and alcohol, nearly 37,000 cancer cases could be prevented by 2040. According to the study, four cancers (liver, melanoma, oral and kidney) showed “substantial increases in incidence” of more than 2 per cent per year in both sexes across the 25 years. The researchers said these are linked to known lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption, smoking, sun exposure and being overweight or obese.

“Increases in liver cancer incidence and mortality for both men and women are very concerning, with nearly one in two attributable to modifiable risk factors,” they said.

“With high prevalence of obesity and diabetes in the general population, other studies expect the rates to remain high.”