2025 UK cancer numbers...

Over 392,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed every year!

Every 90 seconds, someone is told is they have a cancer!

Sadly, 167,000 plus people die from cancer every year!

Some 3.5+ million people are living with cancer!

Source: Macmillan

5 top of mind FAQs...

1: What are "my" chances of getting cancer?

The odds are not good! According to research by Macmillan, 1 in 2 UK people born after 1960 will be told they have cancer. That's a frightening statistic! Potentially, half of your family and friends are going to be diagnosed with cancer. Take a few seconds to think about that 1 in 2 number! When you next sit and look at your loved one, here's a really, really hard question: Would you rather it was you or them? The risk of developing cancer increases with age. Having a family history of cancer can also increase your risk due to inherited genetic mutations. If you need help, or want to help someone, then awareness is a valuable first step to get through a traumatic and life changing experience. Awareness save lives, learn more and maybe, just maybe, the next life to be saved is your own, or a loved one's! Visit Cancer Research UK for more detailed statistics.

2: What increases "my" risk of dying from cancer?

Doing NOTHING when faced with worrying symptoms, such as blood in your wee, poo, phlegm, etc. is just asking for downstream problems. Apathy, embarrassment and fear of being seeing as a burdon (to others) is a good way of getting to stage 3 or 4 cancer (see below).

3: How can I reduce "my" risk of getting cancer?

Not all cancers can be prevented. Top tips to help reduce risk include:

Increase your awareness. Learn how to spot early symptoms and act sooner rather than later. For most cancers, the earlier you catch them the better your chances of a positive outcome.
Stop finding excuses to delay / avoid action. A delayed diagnosis can reduce you chances of survival.
Ask more questions. Don't be sorry, afraid or embarrassed to talk to experts about any concerns. Make an urgent GP appointment if you find blood where it shouldn't be (in your wee, poo, spit, etc.)
Get tested often. Your doctor would prefer to tell you to take 2 pain-killers, rather than tell you that you should have contacted them earlier.
Do the obvious. Stop smoking, eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and don't drink too much booze.

When the topic is cancer, attitudes like being private, sorry and embarrassed can result in delayed diagnosis, which can mean the difference between catching the cancer at stage 1 or 2, rather than at stage 3 or 4. You really don't want to discover you have cancer when its at stage 4.

4: Is "my" cancer hereditary?

Yes, some types of cancer can be hereditary. This means that genetic mutations linked to cancer risk can be passed down from parents to children. However, most cancers are caused by genetic changes that happen over a person's lifetime. Common examples include certain types of breast, ovarian, and colorectal cancers. If you have a family history of cancer, it might be helpful to discuss genetic testing and cancer screening options with a your doctor. It is important to stay aware and if you have a family history of cancer, get tested often.

5: Can "my" cancer be cured?

Curing cancer is a complex challenge. There isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. Treatment options depend on the type, stage, and location of the cancer, as well as the patient's overall health. Here are the 3 most common treatments:

Surgery: The most obvious treatment is to cut out and remove the tumour and surrounding tissue. This is often used with other treatments.
Radiation Therapy: This uses high-energy rays that target cancer cells. The purpose is to destroy / shrink tumours.
Chemotherapy: Uses powerful drugs to kill or stop cancer cell growth. It is also used to attack cancers that have spread or are at risk of spreading.

Being declared cancer-free typically means that there is no detectable evidence of cancer in your body. It is often referred to as complete remission. However, the exact criteria and timelines can vary depending on the type of cancer, the treatment received, and individual circumstances. Many doctors consider a patient cancer-free if they remain in complete remission for a certain number of years, often 5 years, without any signs of cancer returning.

The UK's Top 4 Cancers

The UK's top 4 UK cancers account for over 53% of all new diagnosed cancer cases!

#1
Breast

Every year some 55,000+ woman and 400+ men are diagnosed with breast cancer.

About 11,400 women and 85 men die from breast cancer each year (some 32 deaths / day).

Breast cancer is the 2nd most common cause of cancer death in women and accounts for about 15% of all female cancer deaths.

#2
Prostate

Every year over 52,000 men get this diagnosis.

About 12,000 men die from prostate cancer each year (some 33 deaths / day.)

Prostate cancer is the 2nd most common cause of cancer death in men in the UK, accounting for about 14% of all cancer deaths in males.

#3
Bowel

For the 1st time this century, more people were diagnosed with bowel cancer (42,000) than lung cancer (40,000).

About 16,800 people die from bowel cancer each year (some 46 deaths / day).

Bowel cancer is the 2nd most common cause of cancer death in the UK, accounting for about 10% of all cancer deaths.

#4
Lung

Every year about 40,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer. 72% of lung cancer cases in the UK are caused by smoking.

About 34,800 people die from lung cancer each year (some 95 deaths / day).

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in the UK, accounting for about 21% of all cancer deaths.

Does knowledge help or scare?

The 4 stages of cancer...

Ignore symptoms, such as blood in your phlegm, wee, poo, etc., at your peril. Finding unexplained lumps where they don't belong should also raise alarm bells. The longer you do nothings and ignore the symptoms, the higher the risk of getting to stage 3, or 4. Get beyond apathy, embarrassment, etc. and go get tested. Early detection and treatment is crucial for improving your survival rates. Regular screenings and awareness of symptoms can help catch cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage.

Stage 1

A cell becomes cancerous when it ignores its programming. It grows, becomes abnormal, and expands into nearby areas.

Stage 2

The abnormal cell replicates over and over, and becomes a tumour. The tumour crowds (bullies) out normal cells.

Stage 3

The tumour continues to grow and expand. It reaches your lymph nodes (kind of a superhighway to other organs)!

Stage 4

The cancer spreads to, and infects, other parts of your body. This primary cancer has now become a secondary cancer.

How cancer spreads...

Think of cancer as a bully. It invades nearby spaces, grows uncontrollably because it is rarely opposed and extends its territory in 3 ways:

Cancer cells grow uncontrollably and kill nearby cells. They eventually spread to other close by organs.
Cancer cells get into the into the lymph system spreading through lymph vessels to other parts of the body to form a “metastatic tumour” within another body organ such as the lungs, liver, the brain and even the bones.
Cancer cells break away from the location of the primary tumour and form tumours in other parts or organs of the body by travelling through blood vessels.

Primary and Secondary Cancer...

Primary cancer refers to the location of original cancer. Breast cancer is cancer that starts in the breast, bowel cancer starts in the bowel, and so on. When a cancer spreads to other parts of the body it does not become a new cancer. So, if your bowel cancer spreads to your liver, it does not become liver cancer. It is still bowel cancer.

Secondary cancer is the same type of cancer as the original (primary) cancer - it has migrated to other parts of the body. The medical term used for this is metastatic (pronounced meta-static).

Metastatic cancer, in most cases, is NOT curable. Treatment can slow tumour growth and ease many of the symptoms. It's possible to live for several years with some types of cancer, even after metastasis.

Metastatic cancer has the same name as the primary cancer. For example, breast cancer that spreads to the lung is called metastatic breast cancer, not lung cancer. It is treated as stage 4 breast cancer, not as lung cancer.

Living with cancer...

**When it's YOU...**

There is no standard reaction when your oncologist looks you in the eye and tells you that you have a cancer. A variety of emotions will hit you. In many cases the first emotion to hit will be shock, quickly followed by disbelief, sadness, anger, fear, panic, depression, embarrassment and shame. Another issue faced by many is "How the hell do I tell my family?"

Many will withdraw, avoid family and friends and many experience a deep loneliness because they struggle to verbalise something that is just too damn hard to discuss.

All emotions are equally valid.

**When it's NOT...**

Even if you don't yet appreciate the severity of the situation, some really simple actions can make a world of difference to them. For example, drive them to the hospital, get their meds, shopping, etc., talk about last night’s big match, open a bottle of wine and just sit and gossip. Do anything that distracts their minds even for a short time. Give them a hug, give them a cuddle. Don’t underestimate the value of giving someone a good tight squeeze.

You don't need to understand the big or small issues of dealing with someone who has cancer, you just need to let them know you are there for them!

How will you react?

I'm a pessimist

I am going to die!

My life will be very difficult.

I'm going to lose all my hair.

These drugs will make me sick.

My family won't cope.

England won't win the world cup.

Shove your counselling.

I'm an optimist

I am going to live!

My life will be very different.

I don't need to pay for hair stylists.

These drugs will make me better.

My family will learn to cope.

England will win the world cup.

I'll try counselling.

Brits are big on being
private, embarrassed and sorry...

The Brits are often seen as reserved and unemotional. Your typical Brit will find it difficult (if not embarrassing) to openly discuss private matters. Certain topics, such as finances, relationships, sex, and health are considered taboo and are rarely discussed even with the closest of family and friends. When touchy subjects need to be discussed, the conversation typically opens with an apology of sorts "I hope you don't mind, but can I ask...".

Brits can be sorry on an hourly basis. Sorry for the weather, sorry for bumping into you, sorry for my kid's behaviour, the list goes on and on. When eating out, Brits will complain to each other about how bad the food is, but when asked by the server "How is everything?" they are often too embarrassed to complain and will simply say "It's all fine thank you".

Learning how to open up and have hard uncomfortable conversations is a hurdle that all those with cancer must learn to get past. There are many wonderful counselling services available to help, but here again the Brit mentality will find it embarrassing to firstly acknowledge that counselling is required, and secondly to admit that a counsellor has been engaged. To many, the need for counselling is seen both as a weakness and embarrassing.

When the topic is cancer, stuff like being private, sorry and embarrassed can result in delayed diagnosis, which can mean the difference between catching cancer at stage 1 or 2, rather than at stage 3 or 4. You really don't want to discover you have cancer when its at stage 4 (a secondary cancer).

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