March 27, 2024
The United Kingdom has seen a surge in cancer cases recently and according to a Mail Online data analysis, the disease could strike about half of the British population in their lifetime.
The National Health Service (NHS) has reported a surge in visits to their online resources recently while, according to the Daily Mail, British women have a 43% chance of getting cancer and men have a slightly higher risk at 45%.
Here are the top three most common types of cancer that dominate in the UK based on a data analysis by Mail Online.
Sex-specific cancers are prevalent, with 16.7% of men and 14.3% of women experiencing prostate and breast cancer respectively.
Although prostate cancer is more common, it has higher odds of death within a decade compared to other forms of cancer.
About one in six men with prostate cancer may die within 10 years, while breast cancer patients are less likely to die within a decade.
Lung cancer is the next most common cancer affecting 7.1% of men and 7.7% of women.
It ranks just under deadly cancers like oesophagus, mouth-to-stomach tube, brain and nervous system.
Among male patients 96% are dead within 10 years of their diagnosis, for women the figure is 93.5%.
The same type of cancer that killed Dame Deborah James at age 40 in 2022, is the third most common form of cancer by type in the data affecting 5.9% men and 5% of women.
Of men who get the disease, 44% die within the decade, and for women the figure is 42.8%.
Citing Cancer Research UK (CRUK) data, Daily Mail reported that in the UK, an average of 375,000 new cancer cases are detected annually, with 38% being preventable due to long-term factors like smoking or obesity.
The NHS suggests that individuals must consult with a doctor if they notice a new lump, unexplained bleeding, and bowel changes as they may be potential symptoms of a cancer.
Other symptoms include a cough or bloating lasting three weeks or more, mole changes, unexplained weight loss, or jaundice with a yellow tinge.
The NHS says that early detection of cancers increases the effectiveness of treatment compared to later stages.