Cancer

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Cancer is a common condition and is a serious health problem, both in the UK and across the North East of England. One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetimes. There are hundreds of differnt types of cancer. The most common cancers in the UK are:

• Breast cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Lung cancer
• Colorectal cancer

Risk factors for cancer include smoking, drinking alcohol, obesity, poor diet, lack of exercise and prolonged exposure to sunlight. Our cancer risk is greatly affected by the way we live our lives. Research suggests that half of all cancers could be prevented by changes to our lifestyle.

Treatments for cancer include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Some cancers cancers can be cured if detected early enough.

There are large inequalities in incidence, mortality and survival for cancer; there is also inequity along the patient pathway. In a region typified by large inequalities working to understand these inequalities is key.