England’s burgeoning cancer crisis was today laid bare in MailOnline’s dossier of interactive data.
Experts have long demanded urgent action to tackle the unfolding catastrophe, calling for a ‘seismic shift in our approach to cancer care’ to save thousands from dying prematurely.
Now the numbers — packaged into a searchable tool — allow you to see exactly how likely you are to develop the most common types of the disease, depending on your age, gender and where you live.
Our interactive tool utilises NHS England figures covering all 42 healthcare areas. They can be searched by typing in your local area.
It comes as figures released this week suggest the number of people living with cancer in the UK will hit a record high of 3.4 million this year.
Data analysed by cancer support charity MacMillan shows roughly half a million more people will be living with cancer by December than they were five years ago.
The rise, the charity says, is being fuelled by a growing and ageing population and a gradual improvement in survival rates for some types of the disease.
According to MailOnline’s analysis, people living in the South West are statistically the most likely in England to be diagnosed with cancer.
Women living in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Dorset and Devon saw the highest incidence of cancer per 100,000 people — with 998.9, 986.1 and 967.7 respectively.
Among men, it was highest in Surrey Heartlands, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and Dorset.
Among all age groups over 25 in these locations, skin cancer was the most common cancer diagnosed in both sexes.
Skin cancer isn’t only the most common type across England, however. Our data also shows diagnoses are significantly higher in coastal areas.
Across all age groups, skin cancer incidence stood at 358.5 per 100,000 among women — a fifth higher than non-coastal areas (292.4).
It was 608.7 per 100,000 among men, marking a rise of over a quarter (513.2).
Experts have previously told MailOnline that the difference in cancer rates up and down the country is likely due to the demographic of people living in some areas, which makes them more at risk of developing cancer.
Studies have also suggested higher sun exposure on the coast is associated with higher incidence of skin cancer.
Women living in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Dorset and Devon saw the highest incidence of cancer per 100,000 people — with 998.9, 986.1 and 967.7 respectively. Pictured, Durdle Door in Dorset
Signs of skin cancer range from innocuous to obvious, but experts warn that treating cases early is key to making sure they do not spread or further develop
Professor Karol Sikora, a retired oncologist and former director of the World Health Organisation cancer programme, said: ‘It’s all in the age of the populations.
‘Towns on the south coast have a lot of older residents, who are at much higher risk of cancer, compared to urban areas like London which have a younger population.’
Cancer risk has been well established as being closely tied to age as damage in cells that can trigger the disease builds-up over time.
But this isn’t to say cancer doesn’t occur in younger people.
While still in the minority, experts have been concerned about recent a rise of cancer cases in young people compared to historical levels, particularly in bowel cancer.
MailOnline’s analysis shows bowel cancer diagnoses in women were highest across all age categories in Suffolk and North East Essex, at 69.1 per 100,000.
It was followed by Herefordshire and Worcestershire and Hampshire and Isle of Wight with 67.8 and 66.8 per 100,000 respectively.
In men, the highest figures stood at 96.2 per 100,000 in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, 95.9 in Herefordshire and Worcestershire and 94.2 in Lancashire and South Cumbria.
Dame Deborah James, nicknamed the ‘bowel babe’ raised more than £11.3mn for Cancer Research and is credited for increasing awareness of the disease, which killed her in 2022 aged 40
Among those aged 25 to 49, however, rates were highest in women in Somerset at 19.6 per 100,000 and Gloucestershire with 18 per 100,000.
By comparison, it was just 6.1 per 100,000 in North West London.
Both healthcare areas also topped the diagnoses chart in men, with Gloucestershire recording 26.9 per 100,000 and Somerset, 25.4 per 100,000.
The Black Country was the lowest with 6.7 per 100,000.
Regardless of age, medics urge Brits to keep an eye out for symptoms of the cancer such as a new, sudden, lump in the body, unexplained bleeding and changes to bowel habits.
Other signs of cancer vary by type of the disease but can include unexplained weight loss, a cough lasting three weeks or more, bloating, new or changing moles, stomach or back pain, yellow-ish skin and fatigue.
According to Cancer Research UK, carcinomas and melanomas, a type of skin cancer, as well as lymphomas — a type of blood cancer — are the most common forms of the disease in young people.
It comes as Macmillan this week suggested more people than ever before will be living with cancer in the UK by the end of this year.
Bowel cancer can cause you to have blood in your poo, a change in bowel habit, a lump inside your bowel which can cause an obstructions. Some people also suffer with weight loss as a result of these symptoms
This includes around 890,000 women with breast cancer, 610,000 men with prostate cancer, 390,000 people with bowel cancer and 120,000 with lung cancer.
The charity’s chief executive, Gemma Peters, said: ‘The number of people living with cancer in the UK is rising, and for many things are getting worse.
‘There are unacceptable gaps between the best and worst experiences, and people are being left behind.
‘Behind these figures are individuals with unique challenges and needs.
‘At Macmillan, we support people living with cancer every day, helping them to manage the various ways in which cancer affects their lives.
‘We see how cancer impacts people’s relationships, jobs, finances and more, and how this can be even worse for some, simply because of who they are or where they live.
‘This must change. Better is possible, but only if we approach cancer care differently.
‘Governments across the UK have a unique opportunity to revolutionise cancer care for the future.
‘By addressing the cancer care gap and ensuring every patient — no matter who they are or where they live — can access world-class care, we can set a new standard for the UK.
‘This is the Governments’ chance to shape its legacy for generations to come.’
NHS bosses have long argued they are seeing more patients than ever as part of the fight against cancer, despite the slump in performance.
For instance, urgent referrals have doubled in a decade, largely down to government awareness campaigns urging patients to come forward with suspected symptoms.
NHS chiefs say the majority of cancer-stricken patients are happy with the care they receive.
An annual satisfaction survey, involving more than 63,000 people, gave it an average score of 8.89 out of 10.
Three quarters (75.8 per cent) also said they ‘definitely got the right level of support’ from hospital staff.
Survival rates are also at an all-time high thanks to medical advances and schemes designed to spot the disease early, when it is easier to treat.
NHS bosses have long argued they are seeing more patients than ever as part of the fight against cancer, despite the slump in performance
Survival rates are also at an all-time high thanks to medical advances and schemes designed to spot the disease early, when it is easier to treat. Such programmes include pop-up diagnostic centres in shopping centres, car parks and football grounds
Such programmes include pop-up diagnostic centres in shopping centres, car parks and football grounds.
But despite the importance of fast access to diagnosis and treatment in improving outcomes, NHS performance is still far below its targets.
Latest available monthly figures released by the health service show the proportion of patients being treated within two months of an urgent cancer referral was only 69.4 per cent in November 2024.
The target is 85 per cent and has never been met.
In human terms, this meant over 8,000 of cancer patients in England had to wait more than 62 days to start treatment.
Other cancer performance figures are failing or only just managing to meet targets.
Only 91 per cent of patients started treatment within 31 days of being booked in November, below the goal of 96 per cent.
But an NHS target of telling at least 75 per cent of patients with suspected cancer they do or don’t have the disease was met for the second month running.
Fast access to cancer care not only reduces the chance of the disease spreading to other areas of the body, it can also mean a patient doesn’t need as extensive treatments like chemotherapy or radiotherapy or for as long.
