Risk of dying from cancer in England varies hugely between regions, say scientists

Researchers from Imperial College London looked at the cancers that cause the most deaths, including breast cancer in women. Photograph: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

The risk of dying from cancer in England “varies massively” depending on where a person lives, according to a study that experts say exposes “astounding” health inequalities.

Researchers who analysed data spanning two decades found staggering geographical differences. In the poorest areas, the risk of dying from cancer was more than 70% higher than the wealthiest areas. The findings were published in the Lancet Oncology.