Cancer - the facts

During the three-year period, 2003 to 2005, there were on average 3,150 deaths each year in Wigan Borough. Of these, 750 a year were attributed to cancer. That is, just under a quarter (24%) of deaths during this period were attributable to cancer (27.6% of deaths for men, 20.4% of deaths for women).

Almost a quarter of cancer deaths (24.6%) during 2003 to 2005 were attributed to lung cancer (27.6% of cancer deaths for men, 21.1% of cancer deaths for women).

Other main causes of cancer death in both men and women were bowel cancer, and breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men.

Cancer risk factors

• It is an undisputed fact that the cause of 90% of lung cancer is through smoking tobacco
• The three main risk factors associated with breast cancer are;
• increase in age when women have their first pregnancy
• obesity
• consuming higher than the recommended levels of alcohol