Cancer trends in the UK

Cancer is a major public health problem in the UK, and in most high income countries. The disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women, and one in four people die prematurely from it at ages 30-69 years.1 A comprehensive assessment of the evolution of cancer incidence and mortality rates over time is not straightforward because of multiple disease types, each with its own underlying causes and effective means of control. Such an overarching assessment, nonetheless, serves as a report card on national progress in cancer control by enabling three lines of inquiry. How have cancer rates changed? What factors drive these trends? And what can be done to reduce the future burden?

In their linked paper, Shelton and colleagues undertook such an investigation in the UK, reviewing the trends in 23 cancer types in adults aged 35-69, over a quarter of a century from 1993 to 2018.2 The results were generally encouraging, reaffirming previous investigations.34 Despite an ageing population, …