New research by Cancer Research UK has snown that there are 2,000 extra cancer cases a year linked to deprivation in Wales, which equates to more than five avoidable cases a day. Research also found that lung cancer is responsible for around half of these extra cases, with almost 1,000 lung cancer cases linked to deprivation. Cancer death rates are 55% higher in the most deprived populations than the least deprived in Wales.
Smoking – the biggest cause of cancer in Wales, with around 3,100 cases caused by the habit, continues to be far more common in deprived areas. People living in more deprived areas are also more likely to be overweight or obese, which is the second biggest risk factor for cancer after smoking. Around 1,000 cancer cases each year in Wales are caused by excess weight.
Meanwhile, screening uptake is far lower in more deprived communities. Breast cancer screening is 19 percentage points lower and bowel cancer screening is 15 percentage points lower in the most deprived populations compared to the least deprived. A similar trend is seen for cervical screening, with screening 12 percentage points lower for people from more deprived populations than the least deprived.
