The cancer mortality gap is widening in the poorest areas

The gap between cancer mortality rates among people living in less-favored areas of Wales and in richer regions, tends to widen, according to the latest trends.

The decline in the number of cancer deaths in the most disadvantaged areas is not as strong as in less disadvantaged areas, said the Welsh Cancer Watch and Surveillance Cell.

Macmillan Cancer Support said it is concerned about the growing gap.

The charity said it was also "disturbing" to see a slowdown in the decline in the cancer death rate.

In the seven years to 2017, the age-adjusted cancer mortality rate in Wales decreased by 5.4%, but before 2010, the cancer death rate decreased by 9.2% .

The rate of decline was also faster in Scotland and England – and among women.

The latest trends – published in a report on cancer mortality – also show that half of cancer deaths are among people under 75 years of age.

The latest trends show that cancer mortality rates are falling – and continue to fall sharply in the poorest areas. But the gap is widening between the inhabitants of the most disadvantaged areas and those of the less deprived areas of Wales.

This gap increased by 14.1% between 2001 and 2005, and between 2013 and 2017, from 111 cancer deaths per 100,000 population to 126.6 cancer deaths per 100,000 population.

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Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death, with 1,891 deaths in 2017 – more than 20% of all cancer deaths.

It is also increasing in very old men, as well as in middle-aged to older women and very old women.

Richard Pugh, of Macmillan Cancer Support in Wales, said there were still too many variations in the number of people who died of cancer based on their place of residence, their sex and the type of cancer that they had. They had.

"We need a focused effort across Wales to support early diagnosis of cancer, a timely, high-quality cancer treatment that meets the needs of the population, as well as a number of people." adequate infrastructure and infrastructure to support this, "he said.