More than two million years of life are lost to cancer every year in the UK – but the rate is down 15% in the last 30 years, according to a new analysis.
A new study from Cancer Research UK, King’s College London and Queen Mary University of London is the first of its kind to use statistical analysis to show how many years are being lost to the disease.
The team used the age at which cancer patients died from their disease and average life expectancy for the general population to estimate the number of years lost.
They found about one fifth of the total lost years – more than 500,000 years – are from lung cancer, while more than 213,000 years of life are lost to bowel cancer each year and about 197,000 to breast cancer.
While overall numbers of years of life lost per year to all cancers combined has risen since the 1980s, due largely to the increase in population, rates have gone down by 15% in the last 30 years, with the biggest decreases in rates seen in stomach cancer, which is down by 59%; cervical cancer, which is down by 58%; and breast cancers, down by 39%.
The total number of years of life lost to cervical cancer in 1988 was about 43,600, but in 2017 this had fallen to about 21,800.
Dr Judith Offman, who led the work at King’s College London and is now senior lecturer in cancer prevention and early detection at Queen Mary University of London, said: “This analysis allows us to see the impact cancer has on patients and their families, and the precious time that is lost as a result. Measuring years of life lost over a 30 year period provides a different lens to evaluate where health policies and advances in treatment have worked and highlight areas where more needs to be done.
“Research like this is instrumental in helping leaders in health and politics make the best decisions for patients and their loved ones.”
The team’s analysis shows some cancer types, such as liver, melanoma and kidney, are associated with increased rates of years of life lost, largely because of increases in numbers of cases. For liver cancer the rate has grown 157%, which is associated with increasing prevalence of obesity and alcohol use.
Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: “This new analysis is a stark reminder of the impact cancer has on so many people’s lives in the UK today. Behind statistics are people affected by cancer, and these years of life lost are missed chances to reach milestones and spend precious time with loved ones.
“The Prime Minister’s announcement last week on raising the age of sale on tobacco products was a welcome step against the biggest cause of cancer – smoking.
“But we can’t take our foot off the accelerator now. We must see this legislation swiftly implemented, and cancer must be at the top of the agenda for the UK Government. That’s why we’re developing a Manifesto for Cancer Research and Care; a blueprint of actionable policies to work towards a world where everybody lives, longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer. Together, we are beating cancer.”
Leave a Reply