25/09/2012

'Dramatic Fall' Expected In Cancer Death Rates

Cancer deaths are "set to fall dramatically" by 2030, according to Cancer Research UK.

The charity is predicting a 17% drop in the death rate due to fewer people smoking and improvements in diagnosis and treatment.

About 170 UK deaths per 100,000 of population were from cancer in 2010, and this figure is predicted to fall to 142 out of every 100,000.

Lung, breast, bowel, and prostate cancer - some of the biggest killers – will be part of the trend, according to the charity.

Prof Peter Sasieni, from Queen Mary, University of London, said: "Our latest estimations show that for many cancers, adjusting for age, death rates are set to fall dramatically in the coming decades."

However, the death rate for other cancers such as those of the liver and mouth are expected to increase over the next two decades.

As people reach an elderly age, it is expected that the total number of people who actually develop and die from cancer will increase; but these deaths will make up a smaller proportion of the total number of deaths, so the death rate will fall.

The Department of Health said: "These figures reflect improvements in cancer services, but we know there is still more to do.

"Our aim is to save 5,000 more lives every year by 2015 - and halve the gap in cancer survival between us and the best-performing countries in Europe."

(H)

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