It’s a question that keeps many awake at night. Could that new lump, prolonged cough, or sudden change in bathroom habits be a sign of cancer?
Cancer is a disease that, statistically, will affect about half of us in our lifetime.
But what is the exact risk for men and women depending on the type of cancer? And what are the chances of being alive the next decade after a diagnosis?
MailOnline has analyzed data from the charity Cancer Research UK to show you the most common types of the disease in Britain, as well as the deadliest.
There has been great interest in cancer, with cancer charities and the NHS reporting an increase in visits to their online resources after He Wale’s princess revealing his own cancer battle.
This graph shows the lifetime risk of diagnosis of a range of cancers for British women. It also shows the risk of dying within 10 years of learning they have the disease.
And this graph shows the equivalent data for British men.
Overall, British women have a 43 per cent chance of developing cancer in their lifetime.
If they contract the disease, there is a 46.3 percent chance they will die within a decade of their diagnosis.
Men have a slightly higher risk of getting cancer, at 45 percent.
They also have a higher risk of death: 54.2 percent of male cancer patients die 10 years after their diagnosis.
By cancer type, sex-specific cancers were among the most common.
About one in six men (16.7 percent) will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime, and a similar proportion of women (14.3 percent) will develop breast cancer.
Despite being more common, patients with these types of cancer are more likely to recur in the next decade than other forms of the disease.
The minority of men, about one in six (16.2 percent), with prostate cancer will die within 10 years of their diagnosis.
In the case of breast cancer patients, the number of deaths in a decade is just under one in four (24.1 percent).
Lung cancer is the next most common cancer in both sexes, affecting 7.1 percent of men and 7.7 percent of women, respectively.
It is also one of the deadliest. Among male patients, 96 percent die within 10 years of their diagnosis, while among women the figure is 93.5 percent.
Bowel cancer, the same type of disease that killed Dame Deborah James aged 40 in 2022, is the third most common form of cancer by type in the data.
It affects approximately one in 20 men (5.9 percent) and women (5 percent).
Of the men who contract the disease, 44 percent die in that decade, and among women the figure is 42.8 percent.
Pancreatic cancer, famous for its subtle symptoms which mean it is often detected at later and less treatable stages, is the deadliest cancer among the CRUK data analysed.
The vast majority of men and women with this type of cancer (98.9 percent) die within 10 years of diagnosis.
Lung cancer is the next most deadly cancer, followed by cancers of the esophagus, the tube that connects the mouth and stomach, and cancers of the brain and nervous system.
More than 85 percent of patients with these cancers will die within 10 years of their diagnosis.
According to CRUK data, an average of just over 375,000 new cases of cancer are detected in the UK each year.
Of these, almost two in five (38 percent) cases are preventable, having been triggered by long-term factors such as smoking or obesity.
Cancer survival rates, while useful in demonstrating different health outcomes for different types of disease, are a general figure and do not reflect the specific details of each case.
For example, the data do not differentiate cancer survival based on the stage at which the disease was detected.
Patients whose cancers are detected earlier are often more likely to have more effective treatment than a patient whose disease is only detected in its later and possibly final stages.
The data also do not take into account differences between the patients themselves.
Younger patients, who typically have fewer long-term health problems than older patients, may experience fewer or fewer health complications from their illness or treatment, which may influence survival rates.
There are more than 200 different types of cancer and symptoms vary depending on the type.
However, the NHS warns that some of the most common signs include a new lump that appears suddenly, unexplained bleeding and changes in bowel habits.
Others include cough or swelling that lasts three weeks or more, changes in moles, unexplained weight loss, or jaundice in which the skin and eyes take on a yellow tint.
This list is not universal and the health service urges anyone who has any changes to their body that worry them to contact their GP.
In many cases, said symptom or symptoms will not be caused by cancer.
However, the NHS says it is important to check them just in case, as well as addressing other possible health conditions that could be causing the problem.
Kate’s cancer battle in her own words: Princess of Wales’ emotional video statement in full
I wanted to take this opportunity to personally thank you for all the wonderful messages of support and understanding while I was recovering from surgery.
It has been an incredibly difficult couple of months for our entire family, but I have had a fantastic medical team who have looked after me very well, which I am very grateful for.
In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time my condition was thought to be non-cancerous. The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found that there was cancer. Therefore, my medical team recommended that I undergo preventive chemotherapy treatment and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.
Of course, this was a huge shock, and William and I have been doing our best to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.
As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery to be able to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it took us a while to explain everything.
George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them and to reassure them that I am going to be okay.
As I have told you; I’m doing well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirit.
Having William by my side is also a great source of comfort and peace of mind. As has the love, support and kindness that many of you have shown. It means a lot to both of us.
We hope you understand that as a family we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My job has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I hope to return when I can, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.
At this moment I also think of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. To all who face this disease, in any form, do not lose faith and hope. You are not alone.