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Cancer prevalence in the UK: results from the EUROPREVAL study
D Forman1, D Stockton, H Møller
1Northern and Yorkshire Cancer Registry and Information Service, Leeds, UK. d.forman@leeds.ac.uk
Summary
Cancer prevalence in the UK is estimated, with 1.5% of males and 2.5% of females living with a cancer diagnosis in 1992. Prevalence increased significantly with age, particularly for female breast cancer.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Oncology
Background:
- Cancer incidence, mortality, and survival data are available in the UK.
- Prevalence data, crucial for health planning, are scarce.
- This study addresses the need for UK cancer prevalence estimates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the prevalence of various cancers in the UK population at the end of 1992.
- To provide data for health planning and resource allocation.
- To understand the burden of cancer in the UK.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from eight UK cancer registries, covering over half the population (>1.5 million cases).
- Applied methods from the EUROPREVAL study, modeling incidence and survival trends.
- Calculated total prevalence for specific cancers and all malignant neoplasms combined.
Main Results:
- In 1992, approximately 1.5% of males and 2.5% of females in the UK had a cancer diagnosis.
- Cancer prevalence rose sharply with age, reaching ~7.5% in individuals aged 65 and over.
- Female breast cancer had the highest prevalence (~1%), accounting for over a third of all prevalent female cancer cases.
Conclusions:
- Prevalence estimates include patients in treatment, long-term survivors, and those in terminal phases.
- These estimates are vital for informing healthcare planning and resource allocation.
- Further research should differentiate patient phases of care for optimized planning.