The 10 deadliest cancers revealed – and all the signs you need to watch out for
ONE in two of us will develop cancer at some point in our lives.
But some cancers are more deadly than others, which is why it's vital to know the signs and catch it early - when you have the best chance of surviving it.
It being Movember, we've been hearing loads recently about testicular and prostate cancer, which is still one of the biggest killers of men in the UK - in the same way that breast cancer is for women.
But there are other less common cancers which punch way above their weight in terms of killing their victims.
Most of them are more deadly for men (at least, of the cancers that both genders can develop), although pancreatic cancer is a pretty close call.
THE 10 MOST DEADLY CANCERS IN THE UK...
1. Lung cancer
Lung cancer accounts for nearly 20,000 male deaths a year, and around 16,000 female ones, making it the most deadly cancer by a long way.
2. Bowel cancer
Bowel is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, with almost 42,000 people being diagnosed a year in the UK.
Nearly everyone survives it if it's caught at its earliest stage but the fact that it's the second most deadly disease suggest that loads of people aren't diagnosed in time.
The Sun's No Time 2 Lose campaign called for the Government to lower the bowel cancer screening age from 60 to 50 and they listened.
In August the revealed they will start screening from 50 but due to NHS staff shortages, that change is set to be delayed - putting lives at risk.
So we need to be super vigilant about any changes in our toilet habits and go to the doctor as soon as you notice any changes.
There's also been a rise in the number of younger people developing bowel cancer in recent years, for whom no routine screening is available.
3. Prostate cancer and breast cancer
Both cancers kill the same amount of men and women.
One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point, and the same number of women will develop breast cancer (as well as one out of every 870 men).
We still don't really know why some people get breast cancer and others don't; only about 5 per cent of people diagnosed with it have one of the known breast cancer genes.
The main risks are being a woman, getting older and having a family history of the disease but other factors can include being overweight, hormones, excessive boozing and smoking.
Men are more likely to get prostate cancer with age and family history. Black men are also at greater risk.
5. Pancreatic cancer
Your pancreas helps with digestion. It produces juices full of enzymes which help to break down food, and it also makes hormones like insulin, which control blood sugar levels.
The vast majority of pancreatic cancer cases start in the cells which make the enzymes, but a less common type start in the cells which make the hormones.
Risk factors include age, smoking, being overweight, having a family history of the disease, pancreatitis and diabetes.
There's also evidence to suggest that boozing, eating red and processed meat, having gallstones increase your changes.
6. Oesophagus cancer
7. Liver cancer
There are two kinds of liver cancer - primary and secondary. You're more likely to develop secondary liver cancer if you're already living with bowel, pancreas, stomach, liver or breast cancer.
Primary liver cancer is often caused by cirrhosis of the liver (often as a result of hepatitis B and C, excessive boozing, and non-alcohol related fatty liver disease).
Often there are no symptoms in the early stages but signs can include:
- fatigue (tiredness) and weakness
- a general feeling of poor health
- loss of appetite
- feeling sick (nausea) and vomiting
- loss of weight
- pain or discomfort over the liver area (place your right hand over the lower right-hand side of your ribs and it will just about cover the area of your liver)
- itchy skin
- fine blood vessels visible on the skin in a radial pattern resembling the legs of a spider (known as spider naevi)
- enlarged and tender liver (you may feel tender below your right ribs)
- dark urine/grey pale stools (faeces)
- loss of sex drive (libido)
And if you have any of the following, then seek medical advice ASAP:
- skin and eyes turning yellow (jaundice) – often the first and sometimes the only sign of liver disease
- swelling of the abdomen, which can be due to the growing cancer itself or a build-up of fluid within the abdomen (ascites)
- fever with high temperatures and shivers
- vomiting blood
- dark black tarry stools (faeces)
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8. Bladder cancer
Around 10,300 people are diagnosed with bladder cancer every year in the UK, with it being much more common in older people.
Although it's more common in men (possibly because they're more likely to have encountered cancer-promoting chemicals at work), things like smoking, diet, alcohol, early menopause (before the age of 45) and being overweight are all thought to be risk factors.
Some research has suggested that hairdressers are more at risk because of the chemicals found in some hair dyes but many of these have been banned in recent years, and people can reduce their chances by using non-touch hairdressing techniques.
9. Brain cancer
There are over 150 different kinds of brain tumours out there, and those that grow fast are known as high grade 3 or 4 brain cancer.
Grades 1 and 2 tend to refer to non-cancerous tumours which grow more slowly.
The cause of brain cancer is unknown but your genetic makeup and exposure to radiation (e.g. having radiotherapy as a small child) are risk factors.
The most common type of brain cancer in adults is glioblastoma.
10. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
This is a cancer which starts in the white blood cells and attacks the lymphatic system (part of your immune system).
More than 13,000 people are diagnosed with it a year and it can occur at any age although a third of cases are diagnosed in people over 75.
And after that kidney, stomach and ovary cancers are the next most deadly.
While cancer is obviously pretty scary, the takeaway from this should be that you can reduce your risk of developing many of these by adopting a healthy lifestyle.
Smoking and drinking excessively are risk factors in the majority of these cancers, as is being overweight - and they're all things you can do something about.
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