Cancer Death Rates Fall
Cancer death rates in our region have fallen by almost 11% in the last decade, although the number of cases is still going up, new figures show.
Analysis by Cancer Research UK found that in the North West in 2003, 350 in every 100,000 people died from the disease but that figure has dipped to 310 people per 100,000.
The slump is largely due to improvements in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
A breakdown of the national figures for the sexes shows men's death rates have fallen by 12% over the period, while the drop among women is 8%.
This equates to around 85,000 men and 77,000 women dying from cancer each year in the UK.
Cancers of the lung, bowel, breast and prostate account for almost half (46%) of all cancer deaths in the UK. These four cancers saw an 11% drop in death rates for the period studied.
But some cancers - such as liver and pancreatic - have seen a rise in the rates of people dying, by 60% over the last 10 years for liver cancer and by 8% for pancreatic cancer.
Experts have predicted that, mostly due to the fact people are living longer, one in two people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives.
However, some cases could be prevented, with at least a third of cancer cases each year in the UK linked to unhealthy lifestyles, obesity, smoking and diet.
The University Hospital of South Manchester, home of the North West Lung Centre, has announced plans to introduce more rapid testing for lung cancer on the NHS.
Suspected lung cancer sufferers in Manchester will get a diagnosis in just seven days, with the aim of starting treatment within 14 days of referral by a GP or other health professional.
Lung cancer currently has poor rates of survival, with just 30% of people alive one year after diagnosis and 10% living for five years or more.
Dr Matthew Evison from UHSM said: We will aim to see people the day after they have been referred by their GP so we can fast-track them through the diagnostic process, concentrating the required tests into an intense 36-hour period.