Fact sheet Cancer Page 1 Contents Definition 2 Prevalence and incidence 2 Signs and symptoms 2 Causes/risk factors 3 Pathophysiology (mechanism of disease) 5 Prognosis 5 Diagnosis/detection 7 Management 9 Patient support 10 Further resources 11 External websites 11 References 12
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Fact sheet
Cancer
Page 1
Contents
Definition 2
Prevalence and incidence 2
Signs and symptoms 2
Causes/risk factors 3
Pathophysiology (mechanism of disease) 5
Prognosis 5
Diagnosis/detection 7
Management 9
Patient support 10
Further resources 11
External websites 11
References 12
Fact sheet
Cancer
Page 2
Definition
The World Health Organization defines cancer as ‘a generic term for a large group of diseases
characterized by the growth of abnormal cells beyond their usual boundaries that can then invade adjoining
parts of the body and/or spread to other organs.’1
Cancer can affect almost any type of tissue and there are many different subtypes, all of which have
specific treatment strategies. Some cancers are solid and develop as a tumour, and others may develop in
the blood.
Cancer Research UK’s page, Types of cancer, offers information about the different types of cancer
according to the type of cell they start from.
Another term that is used when discussing cancer is metastasis. A metastasis is a secondary tumour that is
found in a different part of the body that spread from the original cancer site. The cell tissues of the
secondary tumour have similar anatomy to the original cancer.
Return to contents
Prevalence and incidence
1 in 2 people in the UK born after 1960 will be diagnosed with some form of cancer during their lifetime.2 At
the end of 2015, it was estimated that over 2.5 million people who had previously been diagnosed with
cancer were alive in the UK.3
Rates of cancer have increased by 12 percent since the 1990s. The number of new cases in 2015 is
reported to be nearly 360,000 and there were over 163,000 deaths attributed to cancer in 2016.
The most common cancers are breast, prostate, lung and bowel, which account for 53 percent of all
cancers. 38 percent of cancer cases are preventable.
Cancer rates peak between 85 and 89 years of age, with 36 percent of cancer cases in the UK being
diagnosed in people aged 75 and over. Cancer also has a slightly higher incidence rate in males at 51
percent.4
If you would like to know more, Cancer Research UK has a page dedicated to Data and statistics for
healthcare professionals which contains detailed information including key statistics, in-depth explanations
of these statistics and raw data.
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Signs and symptoms
Due to the huge range in cancer types and affected tissues the list of potential signs and symptoms is
broad.
People should be advised to look out for:
lumps – breast lumps and lumps rapidly increasing in size elsewhere on the body, commonly the
Watch Thom’s story to hear about his experience of being diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 27
and how he has been supported by Macmillan Cancer Support:
Macmillan Cancer Support - Thom's Story
Visit About the Cancer in the Community programme and work through Module 4: Living With and
Beyond Cancer, which ‘explores the long-term consequences of cancer, the role of rehabilitation, the needs
of clients returning to work and the importance of health promotion.’
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Further resources
For more learning on the topic of cancer visit CPPE’s Cancer gateway page. BOPA offer two free learning courses aimed at community pharmacies Raising Public Awareness of Cancer in Community Pharmacies (Pharmacists) and Raising Public Awareness of Cancer in Community Pharmacies (All healthcare professionals), which can be found on their eLearning – Courses page. You will need to sign up to access these courses. Access data on the impact of cancer on your local population through the PHE fingertips page on Cancer Services. The PHE Cancer Board plan details PHE’s five-year approach to cancer from 2017 to 2021. NHS England has a page dedicated to Cancer. Return to contents
External websites
CPPE is not responsible for the content of any non-CPPE websites mentioned on this page or for the