by Fewer middle-aged people are dying from cancer than at any point in 25 years, although 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 (BMJ) found that death rates from the disease among people aged 35 to 69 have fallen, thanks to screening, better treatments and policies aimed at reducing smoking.
However, the UK-wide study warns that improvements in survival are slowing, and cancer cases are rising, with a 57% jump in men and a 48% jump in women over the 25-year period.
In 1993, approximately 55,014 cases of cancer were registered in men, but this rose to 86,297 in 2018, while among women the increase was from 60,187 to 88,970.
The researchers said the increases were mainly driven by increases in prostate and breast cancer, partly thanks to tests and screening, although there were also “worrying” increases in melanoma, liver, mouth and kidney cancers.
While cancer cases are rising due to a growing population, factors such as obesity, drinking too much and being inactive play a role, they said.
Cancer Research UK said that if action was taken against smoking, overweight and obesity and alcohol, almost 37,000 cases of cancer could be prevented by 2040.
According to the study, four cancers (liver, melanoma, mouth and kidney) showed “significant increases in incidence” of more than 2% per year in both sexes over 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 are of great concern for both men and women, with nearly one in two attributable to modifiable risk factors,” they said.
“With a high prevalence of overweight and obesity and diabetes in the general population, other studies predict that the rates will remain high.”
Being overweight or obese can cause 13 types of cancer, such as stomach, bowel, liver, pancreatic, gallbladder, breast, uterus, ovary, kidney and thyroid.
Meanwhile, alcohol has been linked to seven types of cancer, including mouth, upper throat, larynx, esophagus, breast and bowel cancer.
The study found that, overall, death rates fell by 37% among men and 33% among women over 25 years, when accounting for the growing and aging population.
Success against individual cancers is noted.
For example, cervical cancer death rates have fallen by 54%, reflecting NHS cervical screening and the introduction of a vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes most cases of cervical cancer.
Lung cancer death rates have also fallen, 53% in men and 21% in women, due to a fall in the number of people who smoke.
Drops were also observed for stomach, mesothelioma and bladder cancer in men, and for stomach and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in women.
Cancer Research UK’s head of cancer information and lead author of the study, Jon Shelton, said: “This study helps us see the progress we have made in curing cancer and where challenges remain.
“With the number of cancer cases increasing and improvements in survival slowing, it is vital that the UK Government takes bold action to keep up momentum…
“We must continue to prevent as many cases of cancer as possible, diagnose cancers earlier and develop kinder treatments.”
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “This major study highlights lifestyle improvements that have been made to tackle cancer in recent years.
“If we take lung cancer, for example, we can clearly see that reducing the prevalence of smoking saves people.
“The UK Government can build on this success by raising the smoking age and continuing to fund a program of pioneering measures to help smokers quit.
“But cancer is still a major health issue in the UK, affecting almost one in two people.
“People are waiting a long time for vital tests and treatment and cancer cases are on the rise.
“Cancer patients will not experience the full benefits of research and innovation advances, including new cancer treatments, without a long-term plan and funding from the UK Government.”
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said: “I welcome the positive findings of this report. Through innovations in technology and treatment, cancer screening programs and measures to help people quit smoking, survival rates are improving across almost all types of cancer.
“We will soon introduce a new law to prevent children who are 15 this year or younger from ever selling cigarettes or other tobacco products. This is the largest single public health intervention in decades, protecting an entire generation and future generations from the harms of smoking.
“But I know there are still challenges. That’s why I want to make our healthcare system faster, simpler and fairer, and to reach our goal of catching 75% of all cancers at stage 1 or 2 by 2028.
“Last year, NHS England carried out a record number of cancer tests, and we are investing £2.3 billion in our new network of local community diagnostic centres, and our upcoming Major Conditions Strategy will further improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. “
For the study, researchers used data from across the UK to examine trends among men and women aged 35 to 69 who were diagnosed with, or died from, cancer between 1993 and 2018.
