British women more likely to develop cancer than those in Europe

British women are 17 per cent more likely to develop cancer than those in Europe – and obesity and alcohol could be partly to blame, experts say.

Analysis of data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer shows women in the UK have a 25.1 per cent chance of developing cancer by the age of 75.

For European women, the risk is 17 per cent lower at 21.4 per cent.

British women are also more likely to die from cancer before the age of 75 than their European counterparts, with 10.6 per cent dying from the disease compared to 9.4 per cent in Europe (a 13 per cent difference). However, the figures show some good news for British men compared to those in Europe. European men on average have a 29.5 per cent risk of developing cancer before the age of 75, but this drops to 27.8 per cent in the UK (six per cent lower).

Men in the UK are also six per cent less likely to die from the disease, with 13.3 per cent dying compared to the European average of 16.2 per cent.

The World Cancer Research Fund, which examined the data, said many cancer cases could be prevented through healthy lifestyles.

Overall, it estimates 80,000 cases of cancer could be prevented each year if people kept to a healthy weight, were active, ate well and did not drink too much.

For women, 33 per cent of cases of cancer of the oesophagus are linked to obesity, as are 19 per cent of pancreatic cancer cases, 21 per cent of gallbladder cases, 16 per cent of breast cancers and 28 per cent of cancers of the womb lining. Rachel Thompson, deputy head of science for the WCRF, said: “On average, women in the UK are more likely to be overweight and to drink more alcohol than the European average and this is a concern because both these factors increase cancer risk.

“They are not the only reasons for the differing cancer rates, but there is now very strong evidence that women who drink a lot of alcohol are at increased risk of developing the disease and that excess body fat is also an important risk factor.

“This is why one of the big public health challenges we face today is to reduce the amount of alcohol we drink as a nation and to get a grip on the obesity crisis before it spirals out of control.”