Men’s chances of getting bowel cancer in Great Britain have doubled since the mid 70s – according to new Cancer Research UK figures. Their lifetime risk has increased from around one in 29 to around one in 15.
For women bowel cancer risk has risen by more than a quarter, going from one in 26 to one in 19. In 2008 there were around 21,500 cases of bowel cancer diagnosed in men compared with around 11,800 cases in 1975. There were around 17,400 cases of bowel cancer in British women in 2008 compared with around 13,500 in 1975. Half of all patients diagnosed with bowel cancer now survive the disease for at least 10 years – double the number who would have done so in the 70s.
