People living in poorer areas of England face a significantly higher risk of dying from cancer than those living in wealthier areas, according to a new study.
Researchers suggested cuts to public health services such as smoking cessation support may have contributed to “staggering inequalities” in the risk of dying from cancer.
They say the greatest disparities occur in cancers for which the risk of developing cancer can be reduced through lifestyle changes, such as losing weight or quitting smoking, and in cancers for which screening is available to reduce the likelihood of developing cancer.
In the northern cities of Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle, and in coastal areas, the risk of death was much higher than in wealthy areas of London such as Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea.
The risk of dying from cancer before age 80 ranged from a tenth in Westminster to a sixth in Manchester for women and from an eighth in Harrow to a fifth in Manchester for men, highlighting the north-south divide. Nationally, the risk of dying from cancer decreased between 2002 and 2019 for both men and women, from one in six to one in eight for women and from one in five to one in six for men.
Research published in the journal Lancet Oncologyexamined deaths in 314 different parts of England. Experts analyzed data from the Office for National Statistics on mortality from the ten types of cancer that cause the most deaths, including lung, bowel, pancreatic, stomach and some blood cancers, as well as prostate cancer in men and breast and ovarian cancer in women.
Overall, around one in eight women died from cancer in England in 2019, compared with one in six men – a decline since 2002. But in some regions the decline in mortality was significantly greater than in others.
For example, the risk of dying from cancer before age 80 fell by 30.1 percent for women in Camden, London, between 2002 and 2019, but in Tendring, Essex, the risk fell by only 6.6 percent.
For men, the biggest risk reduction was seen in Tower Hamlets in London, where researchers found a 36.7% risk reduction over the study period, compared with a 12.8% risk reduction in Blackpool.
“While our study brings good news that the overall risk of death from cancer has fallen across all English counties over the past two decades, it also highlights the staggering disparity in cancer deaths across counties in England,” said Professor Majid Ezzati, senior research fellow. . . Author of the Imperial College London study.
The welfare of territories was assessed by the proportion of the population receiving means-tested benefits because they are unemployed or have low incomes. The likelihood of dying from cancer, especially lung cancer, is associated with poverty for both men and women, the researchers said. Lung cancer was the most common cause of cancer death among both sexes, but people in the north west and north east of England were most likely to die from lung cancer.
Knowsley in Merseyside was named as the place where women are most at risk of dying from lung cancer, with the team finding the risk was three times higher than for women in Waverley, Surrey. Men in Manchester are three times more likely to die from lung cancer before the age of 80 than men in Guildford.
Theo Rashid, a doctoral student at Imperial College London and lead author of the study, said: “The biggest difference between counties was the risk of dying from cancer, with factors such as smoking, alcohol and obesity having a large impact on the risk.” cancer. get cancer. Cancer.
“Due to budget cuts, many municipalities have reduced their anti-smoking budgets since 2010. Our data shows that we cannot afford to abandon these public health programs and that we urgently need to rebuild and strengthen national and local anti-smoking policies. Alcohol.”
Amanda Cross, study author and professor of cancer epidemiology at Imperial, said: “Access to cancer screening and diagnostic services that can prevent or detect cancer at an early stage is critical to reducing some of the inequalities identified in our study.” less likely to have access to and participate in cancer screenings.
“To change this, we need to invest in new ways of reaching disadvantaged groups, such as exploring pop-ups in local areas such as supermarkets and working with community organizations and faith groups.”
David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Welfare Council, said: “This report clearly shows the disparity in cancer survival rates across the country. We must ensure that cancer screening services are accessible to all communities and that everyone, regardless of their social and personal circumstances, has the opportunity to make an informed personal decision about cancer screening.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “Reducing inequalities and disparities in cancer treatment is a priority for this Government. Smoking is responsible for around one in four cancer deaths and the government has vowed to introduce new legislation this year to ban the legal sale of cigarettes to children under 14, creating the first “smoking-free generation”. .
“Cancer is increasingly being diagnosed at an earlier stage, and survival rates are improving for almost all cancers. In our Key Conditions Strategy we set out how we will improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. We have also opened 136 community diagnostic centers offering more than five million additional tests, including for cancer.
“We are also creating a national lung cancer screening program in England which, when fully rolled out in 2030, will detect around 9,000 cases each year.”
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.