‘We need a culture shift to beat cancer’
HEALTH: Health chiefs have warned that a culture shift to a healthier way of life is needed to counter the number of cancer cases which have reached a record level in England.
New figures published yesterday from the Office for National Statistics revealed 299,923 new cancer diagnoses were registered in 2015.
HEALTH CHIEFS have warned that a culture shift to a healthier way of life is needed across the nation to counter the number of cancer cases which have reached a record level in England.
New figures published yesterday from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that 299,923 new cancer diagnoses were registered in 2015 –the equivalent of 822 every day.
Officials from Cancer Research UK have warned that the figure will “only continue to grow”.
The director of policy and public affairs at the charity, Emma Greenwood, said: “These figures highlight the number of lives affected by cancer in England and the scale of the challenge that the health system faces.
“This is the highest number ever seen and will only continue to grow.
“Across the UK, we expect around two million people to be diagnosed with cancer over the next five years.
“Tackling cancer and achieving world-class outcomes for people across the country must be a priority.”
The figure does not necessarily mean that 299,923 people were diagnosed with cancer, as some may have received a diagnosis for more than one cancer in the year studied.
But the ONS data shows that slightly more cancers were registered among men than women, with 153,061 new cases of cancer among men diagnosed, compared with 146,862 new cases among women.
The World Cancer Research Fund’s head of health information, Sarah Toule, added: “To reverse the tide of growing numbers of cancer cases, it is vital that people are aware that there are steps they can take to reduce their cancer risk.
“About a third of the most common cancers could be prevented by making healthy lifestyle choices, including being a healthy weight, not drinking alcohol and getting more exercise.”
Pensioners were most affected by new cases of cancer, with people over the age of 65 accounting for 65.2 per cent of all cancers registered in 2015.
Breast, prostate, lung and colorectal cancer accounted for just over half of all cases. Breast cancer was the most common cancer diagnosed in 2015, with 46,083 cases registered, including 319 cases among men, the ONS figures show.
Among men, prostate cancer accounted for one in four cancer cases, with 40,331 cases registered.
The second most common cancer for both males and females was lung cancer, followed by bowel cancer.
The figures also show that cancer incidence is highest in the North of England and lowest in London.
Meanwhile, a separate study has suggested increasing coffee consumption may help to stave off liver cancer.
Researchers from the University of Southampton and the University of Edinburgh discovered that people who drink more coffee are less likely to develop hepatocellular cancer, the most common form of primary liver cancer. Even decaffeinated coffee can have a protective effect, the study found.
Compared with people who drank no coffee, those who drank one cup had a 20 per cent lower risk of developing HCC, according to the research which is published in the journal BMJ Open.
A third of common cancers could be prevented Sarah Toule of World Cancer Research Fund