A CANCER map of Britain shows a huge north-south divide in diagnosis rates as numbers of cases continue to rise.
Statistics released today show that 305,683 people were diagnosed with the disease in 2017 –2,548 more than in 2016.
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Those living in the North East are the worst affected with one in 154 people getting diagnosed.
However, London has the lowest rate with just one in 176 people being diagnosed with cancer.
One in 167 people in the West Midlands were diagnosed, while one in 162 people in the North West were told they had cancer in the same period.
HIGHEST RATE IN NORTH EAST
The highest rate of lung cancer registrations occurred in the North East with 108 per 100,000 people getting diagnosed, compared with the lowest in the South East with 65 per 100,000.
However, figures released by the Office for National Statistics showed that survival rates are on the up as well.
The rate of people dying from cancer in England has decreased from 275 deaths per 100,000 people in 2016 to 270 deaths per 100,000 in 2017.
Breast cancer is the most common form of the disease with it accounting for 15 per cent of all diagnoses, the new figures show.
AGEING POPULATION
This is followed by prostate cancer (13.5 per cent), lung (12.7 per cent) and colorectal (11.4 per cent).
Cancer Research UK attributes the nation’s growing cancer figures to an ageing population.
Jon Shelton, from Cancer Research UK said the growing cancer figures are due to an ageing population.
He told MailOnline: “These figures show that more and more people are being diagnosed with cancer – and with an ageing population, our projections suggest there could be more than 500,000 people diagnosed each year by 2034.
What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer is the name given to any cancers that have first developed in the breast tissue – there are many different types.
Nearly 1,000 people die from breast cancer every month in the UK, with the disease killing around 11,500 women and 80 men each year.
However, thanks to advances in medical research and early prevention, more people are surviving breast cancer than ever before.
While it is more common in older women, it does affect the younger generation and men too – with around 20 per cent of cases occurring in females under 50 and 350 male cases diagnosed in the UK annually.
“With the number of people walking through hospital doors growing, the pressure on an understaffed NHS staff is mounting, and the Government must invest now to ensure the system is ready to deal with this challenge.
“There are many reasons behind the different rates across England, but for most cancer types, there are more cases in poorer areas.
“Around four in 10 cases of cancer are preventable and there’s plenty you can do to reduce the risk of developing cancer such as not smoking, keeping a healthy weight and being sun safe.”
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