UK Faces 'Cancer Crisis Of Unmanageable Proportions' Says Charity
The Truth About Britain's 'Cancer Crisis'
PA/The Huffington Post UK
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A leading cancer charity has warned that the UK will soon be facing "a cancer crisis of unmanageable proportions".
The number of people living with cancer in the UK will hit a record 2.5 million this year, according to analysis by Macmillan Cancer Support.
That estimate - which includes people who have received the all-clear from doctors - is up by almost half a million from five years ago, the charity said.
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As the unofficial general election campaign period kicks off, Macmillan chief executive Lynda Thomas warned of a cancer crisis. She called on the nation's political parties to commit to prioritising cancer care ahead of May 7.
"While it is great news that more people are surviving cancer or living longer with it, progress is a double-edged sword," Thomas said.
"As numbers surge, the NHS will soon be unable to cope with the huge increase in demand for health services and the support that organisations like Macmillan provide will become even more urgent and important.
"But we cannot do it alone. As we are threatened by a cancer crisis of unmanageable proportions, all political parties must step up and make a real commitment to supporting people with cancer."
The increase in people living with cancer in recent years is largely due to improvements in survival and detection, and a growing and ageing population.
But there have also been large increases in the incidence of many cancers linked to lifestyle, such as kidney, liver and skin, according to Macmillan.
The charity estimates that the number of people living with cancer will reach four million by 2030, and says one in four UK cancer survivors already faces poor health or disability after treatment.
"The side effects of cancer have been a big surprise," one cancer survivor quoted in the report said.
"The inconvenience is much worse than my cancer. The treatment is over but the after effects aren't. No one warned me about the downside of being a cancer survivor."
Macmillan wants political parties to commit in their manifestos to delivering cancer survival rates that match the best in Europe, "ensuring all cancer patients are treated with the highest levels of dignity and respect" and improving end-of-life care.
A Department of Health spokesman said: "It is hugely welcome news that over the last five years 500,000 more people are able to live with cancer - part of the fact that cancer survival rates are increasing from relatively poor performance by European standards to their highest ever level in England.
"The NHS is rising to the challenge this presents and is seeing 51% more patients with suspected cancer than 2010, offering cutting-edge drugs through the Cancer Drugs Fund, focusing on high-quality compassionate care as never before, and working to introduce a personalised recovery care package for every patient."
Lifestyle Risk Factors For Cancer
Smoking(01 of11)
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It's no surprise smoking is the number one thing to avoid in order to prevent cancer. It's responsible for 30 per cent of all cancer deaths, and smoking can increase the risk of lung cancer, for example, by nine times. (credit:Hemera Technologies via Getty Images)
Secondhand Smoke(02 of11)
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Even if you don't smoke, you can be affected by those around you. People who are near smoking are 1.4 times more likely to get lung cancer than others. (credit:CMSP via Getty Images)
Excess Body Weight(03 of11)
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Not having a healthy body weight (defined generally as a BMI of lower than 25) can increase your risk for a variety of cancers, including esophageal, uterine, liver, kidney, pancreatic, breast and colorectal cancer. (credit:bowie15 via Getty Images)
How You Eat(04 of11)
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It's a big yes for veggies and fruit, as well as fibre, but red and processed meat is what you want to avoid. While eating lots of fibre, for example, can help reduce colorectal cancer risk, eating the meats can increase it. (credit:Maximilian Stock Ltd. via Getty Images)
Drinking(05 of11)
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Drinking any type of alcohol — at all — increases your risk for head/neck, esophageal, colorectal, breast and liver cancer (and potentially pancreatic too). You can decrease the risk by keeping your alcohol use confined to one drink a day for women, and two for men. (credit:Roy Mehta via Getty Images)
Physical Activity(06 of11)
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Getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day is what you should be aiming for. Otherwise, you're at risk for colorectal cancer and could be setting yourself up for lung, uterine and breast cancer. (credit:Brent Winebrenner via Getty Images)
How Much You Sit(07 of11)
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We've heard about many ways in which sitting is bad for your health, but this could be the scariest one. Sitting too much (which is different from having physical activity) can increase your risk for colorectal, uterine, ovarian and prostate cancer. (credit:Science Photo Library via Getty Images)
UV Radiation(08 of11)
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Any type of tanning increases your risk for skin cancer — up to 64 per cent more for squamous cell carcinoma. (credit:Bruce Yuanyue Bi via Getty Images)
Viruses(09 of11)
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Hepatitis B and HPV both increase the risk for cancer, but there are vaccines that can help prevent them. (credit:Martin Botvidsson via Getty Images)
Radon(10 of11)
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The presence of radon gas is associated with an increased risk for lung cancer — test your home to see if it's there. (credit:Zirafek via Getty Images)
Hormones(11 of11)
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This one is a double-edged sword. For women taking HRT post-menopause, it can increase the risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer, but may help decrease the risk for colorectal cancer. Birth control pills, meanwhile, have been associated with an increased risk for breast, cervical and liver cancer, but a decreased risk for uterine and ovarian cancer. If you're concerned, talk to your doctor about options. (credit:Stephan Zabel via Getty Images)