Data shows that women are closing the gap with men. The number of cancer cases has increased by 3.7 percent in just two years.
Although men are still more likely to be diagnosed, the difference between the sexes has halved since 2019 to just 6,559 cases.
Experts believe the rising rates are largely the result of changing behaviors from decades ago, such as the decline in smoking rates that occurred earlier among men.
There is also concern about the increasing number of cases of premature cancers, such as breast and bowel cancer, which are increasing faster in women.
The latest findings from the World Research Cancer Fund suggest it’s only a matter of time before women overtake men with cancer diagnoses.
In Britain, 395,181 cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2021. According to the last complete data available, there were 200,870 in men and 194,311 in women.
This compared to 200,386 and 187,434 respectively in 2019.
Due to the ‘rapid reduction’, the difference has fallen from approximately 12,900 to 6,500 in two years.
Although men are still more likely to be diagnosed, the difference between the sexes has halved since 2019 to just 6,559 cases (file image)
There is also concern about the rising number of cases of premature cancer, such as breast and colon cancer, which is increasing faster in women (file image)
Dr. Vanessa Gordon-Dseagu said: ‘It is likely that any changes in the number of new cases are partly explained by behaviour. For example, smoking increases the risk of lung cancer’ (file image)
Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among British women with 59,115 new cases in 2021, around three in ten.
Meanwhile, prostate cancer remains the most common cancer among men, with 51,575 cases diagnosed – accounting for just over a quarter (26 percent) of new diagnoses in men.
Dr. Vanessa Gordon-Dseagu from the World Cancer Research Fund said: ‘Although the overall number of cancer cases is still higher among men than women, the latest increases among women and decreases among men suggest that this difference is closing quite rapidly.
‘It is likely that any changes in the number of new cases are partly explained by behaviour. This will particularly apply to cancers for which there are strong indications that behavior increases the risk.
‘For example, smoking increases the risk of lung cancer, or processed meat and alcohol increase the risk of colon cancer.
‘Following the WCRF’s cancer prevention recommendations can help people reduce their risk of cancer.’