SOME CANCERS
CAN’T BE PREVENTED….

BUT MANY CAN

Stopping Cancer At Source in the UK

There are 1,000 new cancer cases in the UK every day. Up to 400 can be prevented.

CancerWatch is an organisation made up of people whose lives have been affected by cancer, who are passionate about eliminating preventable cancers in the future.

We exist to campaign for more and better action to prevent cancer. Please read our policy pages and blog to find out what we recommend, and let us know if you’d like to hear more from us.

Tackling the problems

Tobacco

Smoking is considered to be the most preventable cause of cancer. And yet about 13% of the British population still smoke, and about 35,000 people a year die from lung cancer each year..

Food & Drink

Obesity is a major cause of cancer, responsible for some 13 different types. Soaring obesity levels in the UK are largely down to changes in diet and food supply, and are among the worst in Europe.

Alcohol

Alcohol is an important risk factor in many cancers, including breast, bowel and oesophageal cancer. Drinking patterns have changed over time, and can be improved with appropriate action.

Lung Cancer

There are about 46,000 cases of lung cancer a year in the UK with about 36,000 deaths. Survival rates over 10 years are about 5%. As smoking is the main risk factor, it is about 90% preventable. Lung cancer accounts for about 20% of all cancer cases in the UK.

Breast Cancer

here are about 55,000 breast cancer cases a year and about 11,500 deaths. Survival rates over 10 years are about 78%. The disease is considered to be about 30% preventable, with obesity, alcohol, HRT and lack of exercise being the main preventable risk factors.

Bowel Cancer

There are about 42,000 cases of bowel cancer (also known as colorectal cancer) a year in the UK, with about 16,000 deaths. Survival rates over 10 years are about 57%. It is considered to be 55% preventable with the keys to preventing the disease being high fibre diets, low red meat consumption, physical exercise and reducing both smoking and alcohol.

Overall

Overall about 40% of cancers in the UK are preventable. There are also other preventable causes of cancer such as excessive sunlight which causes skin cancer, and viruses that cause cervical cancer. Approaches that would improve prevention include reducing consumption of tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food, and improving screening. Vaccination and genetic screening may be increasingly helpful in the future.