In the US, 1 in 2 women and 1 in 3 men will develop cancer in their lifetime. Now, a similar rate has been reported in the UK, with a new study published in the British Journal of Cancer claiming 1 in 2 men and women will be diagnosed with the disease at some point in their lives.

Share on Pinterest In the UK, 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives.

Conducted by investigators from Cancer Research UK, the figure from the new study surpasses the previous estimate, which claimed 1 in 3 people in the UK will develop cancer in their lifetime.

The research team, including Prof. Peter Sasieni of Queen Mary University of London in the UK, says the new study involved the use of a more accurate calculation technique, which compared cancer rates of people born in the 1930s with those born in the 1960s.

“From this, we can now forecast that a child born today has a 1 in 2 chance of developing cancer at some point in their lives,” say the authors.

But why is this rate so high? Prof. Sasieni and colleagues say it is down to improved health care and longer life expectancies, which ultimately means more people will be diagnosed with the disease.

“Cancer is primarily a disease of old age, with more than 60% of all cases diagnosed in people aged over 65,” notes Prof. Sasieni. “If people live long enough then most will get cancer at some point.”

As such, the authors say health care services need greater investment to ensure they are “fit to cope” with the rise in cancer diagnoses.

Dr. Emma King, head and neck surgeon at Cancer Research UK, adds: