5 things things we learned from Cancer Research UK's biggest report to-date

Yahoo

2 days ago

In the UK, more than 400,000 people are told they have cancer every year. Statistics suggest that nearly one in two of us will be diagnosed with the condition at some point in our lifetime, yet recent headlines suggest that the disease is evolving, with growing fears around a worrying uptick in early-onset cases.
Now, Cancer Research UK has provided a clearer picture of how cancer is affecting us as a population, with a new report that analyses 50 years of UK-wide data on cancer mortality and cases.
Called the Cancer in the UK Report 2025, the groundbreaking analysis reveals some fundamental facts about the average risk for developing cancer in the UK, and the probability of getting the all-clear.
To help you easily digest its findings, here are five key things we learned from the report.
Arguably the most impactful statistic from the report is that the number of people being diagnosed with cancer has risen by almost half in the UK.
Despite improvements in prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment over the past half a century, many more people are being diagnosed with cancer compared to 50 years ago.
Cancer Research UK reports that incidence rates have sharply increased by almost half (47%) across Great Britain from 1973 to 2023, from around 413 cases per 100,000 people to around 607 cases per 100,000 people.
In more reassuring news, the average person is more likely to beat cancer now than those who developed the disease back in the early 1970s – despite cases rising.
The overall rate of people dying from cancer has fallen by around 22% over the past 50 years, with the report suggesting that three key things – research into improving screening programmes, tests and drugs – have helped to bring down death rates.
The charity adds that policy action on smoking has also helped to shrink rates of lung cancer, a common type of cancer which is known to have a poorer survival rate.
Perhaps surprisingly, given that smoking rates are at their lowest point on record, smoking remains the biggest cause of cancer in the UK and is responsible for around a fifth of all cancer deaths each year.
To combat these figures, the government is currently working to pass a Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which aims to create the first smoke-free generation by banning the sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.
If passed in Westminster, the bill will gradually phase out tobacco sales, effectively preventing future generations from starting smoking.
With more people living with cancer than ever before, the number of daily diagnoses is on the rise too.
The report estimates that nearly 1,100 new cases are diagnosed every day in the UK – that's around one every minute.
The charity says that a growing and ageing population is partly behind this steady rise in new cancer cases, alongside rising obesity rates, which count for 5% of all cancer deaths in the UK.
Cancer screening programmes are hardly the most fun things to attend, but the report highlights the importance of staying on top of routine appointments and common cancer symptoms.
The three major types of cancer screening – bowel, breast and cervical – are estimated to save as many as 5,000 lives every year across the UK.
Despite this, there's a mixed picture on uptake. Bowel screening participation has improved thanks to the rollout of the faecal immunochemical test (FIT), a simple stool test used to detect tiny amounts of blood in poo, but worryingly, breast screening participation is declining in England and Wales.
Cervical screening participation is also declining, despite Jade Goody's high-profile battle with cervical cancer helping to reverse the downward trend in women going for screening in the mid 2010s.
Speaking about the new report and its findings, Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK's chief executive, said: "It's fantastic to see that thanks to research, cancer death rates have drastically reduced over the last 50 years, and survival has doubled.
"However, there's more that can be done. This report highlights that over 460 people die from cancer every single day in the UK, and too many cases are diagnosed at a late stage. If we want to change that, we need bold action from the UK government."
She adds: 'The upcoming National Cancer Plan for England must improve cancer survival, and transform cancer services. If this plan is done right, it could save countless lives across England and ensure people affected by cancer live longer, better lives.'
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I saw breast cancer as a woman's illness and was too embarrassed to tell people I had it (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read)