Third more men die from cancer in UK than women, says main charity

Men are now a third more likely to die from cancer than women, research reveals today.

Speculation about the cause of the disparity includes a lack of awareness of the tell-tale signs of a tumour in men, the relative lack of funding for male-specific cancer types and environmental differences between the sexes.

According to figures compiled by Cancer Research UK, men are more than 35 per cent more likely to die from cancer. A report showed that 202 men per 100,000 died from cancer compared to 147 women in 2010.

Professor Alan White, chairman of the Men’s Health Forum, said: “It’s crucial that the NHS leads the way in taking a more pro-active approach to prevent men both getting and dying from cancer prematurely.”

Cancer Research UK has speculated that the disparity could be caused by men being diagnosed more often with types that are “harder to treat,” including bladder and liver cancer.