One in 38 people fighting cancer – area’s highest

ONE person in every 38 living in Stockport is currently battling cancer – the highest figure of any borough in Greater Manchester.

Striking new NHS data has revealed that across Greater Manchester one in 45 people are living with the disease, a rise of more than 5,000 to 63,941 in the past year.

That is an increase of almost eight percentage points in 2015/16 – meaning that one person in every 45 registered to a GP in the area has some form of cancer.

National statistics show you’re more likely to have the disease in Stockport than in other parts of the country, with the UK aver- age one in every 40 people.

In Trafford one in 38 people are also currently fighting the disease, but in Central Manchester, that figure is more than doubled to just one in 83 people.

One factor in cancer rates is the age of an area’s population – areas with more elderly people are more likely to see a higher percentage of cancer rates.

As a group, cancer is the most common cause of death in England and Wales, although dementia and heart disease are more deadly than any specific kind of cancer.

Dr Rebecca Smittenaar, Cancer Research UK’s statistics manager, said the number of people getting cancer is increasing because people are living longer.

She explained: “More people are getting cancer and it’s mainly because people are living longer.

“But the good news is that we’re making great progress in improving survival which has doubled in the past 40 years in England. Too many people still die from the disease and for some types of cancer, survival hasn’t improved much – including lung, pancreatic, oesophageal cancers and brain tumours.

“Earlier diagnosis, getting the right treatment at the right time, and preventing the disease through lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking can help improve survival.”