Cancer
One in two people in the UK will develop cancer in their lifetime. Around four in ten cases are preventable — and survival has doubled in the last 50 years.
- ≈ 403,600
new cancer cases diagnosed in the UK each year.
Source: CRUK, 2019 & 2021–22
- ≈ 170,000
UK cancer deaths each year.
Source: CRUK, 2022–24
- 38%
of UK cancers are linked to known modifiable risk factors.
Source: Brown et al., BJC 2018
Breast, prostate, lung and bowel
Breast, prostate, lung and bowel cancers together account for over half of all new cases in the UK. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death.[1]CRUK
Four in ten cases are preventable
A landmark BJC analysis attributed 38% of UK cancers to modifiable factors: smoking (15%), overweight/obesity (6%), UV radiation (4%), alcohol (3%), occupational exposures, infections (HPV, H. pylori), low fruit & vegetable intake, processed meat and physical inactivity.[5]Brown et al., BJC 2018
NICE NG12 and the 'red flags'
NICE NG12 sets the symptom thresholds for urgent suspected-cancer referrals (the 2-week-wait pathway) — for example, unexplained rectal bleeding in adults aged 50+, postmenopausal bleeding, or a breast lump in women aged 30+.[4]NICE NG12
Three national programmes
The UK offers national screening for bowel, breast and cervical cancer, with a targeted lung cancer screening programme rolling out for ever-smokers aged 55–74. See our Preventive Care chapter for full eligibility.[1]CRUK
- [1] Cancer Research UK. Cancer statistics for the UK · 2024
- [2] NHS. Cancer — overview · 2024
- [3] Office for National Statistics. Cancer registration statistics, England · 2024
- [4] NICE. Suspected cancer: recognition and referral — NG12 · 2023
- [5] Brown et al., British Journal of Cancer. The fraction of cancer attributable to modifiable risk factors in the UK · 2018