Cancer death rates in middle-age Brits 'have fallen by a third since the early ... trends now
The number of people dying of cancer in middle age has fallen by a third in 25 years, new research shows.
Death rates from the disease among 35 to 69-year-olds have plummeted as a result of screening, better treatments and the fall in smoking rates.
But while deaths among this age group are falling, experts warned there is a worrying rise in cases fuelled by new health issues such as obesity.
The study from Cancer Research UK found improvements in survival are slowing down, while cancer cases are rising, with a 57 per cent jump in men and a 48 per cent jump in women over the last quarter of a century.
In 1993, some 55,014 cancer cases were registered in men, but this rose to 86,297 in 2018, while in women the rise was from 60,187 to 88,970, according to the findings published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
This chart, from Cancer Research UK, shows the number of cancer deaths per 100,000 population in the UK between 1971 and 2019. The blue line shows the death rate for men, the pink line shows the rate for women and the purple line shows the combined rate
These increases were mainly driven by rises in prostate and breast cancer, in part thanks to tests and screening, though there were also ‘concerning’ rises in melanoma, liver, oral and kidney cancers, they said.
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 is taken against smoking, being overweight and obesity and alcohol, nearly 37,000 cancer cases could be prevented by 2040.
According to the study, four cancers (liver, melanoma, oral and kidney) showed ‘substantial increases in incidence’ of more than 2 per cent per year in both sexes across 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 for both men and women are very
