Obesity link to cancer hike

Ten years ago, around 22 women in every 100,000 in Yorkshire and the Humber were diagnosed with the disease, according to Cancer Research UK. That figure has now climbed to around 27 women in every 100,000 in the region – with obesity being the most likely culprit.

Around 680 women are diagnosed with womb cancer every year in Yorkshire and the Humber and around 160 die from the disease. Ten years ago, there were around 520 new cases of womb cancer each year and around 130 women died.

The disease kills around 2,000 women every year and around 9,000 women are now diagnosed with womb cancer every year in the UK.

Professor Jonathan Ledermann, director of the Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre, said: “It’s worrying that womb cancer cases are going up so sharply.

“We don’t know all the reasons why. But we do know that about a third of cases are linked to being overweight so it’s no surprise to see the increases in womb cancer cases echo rising obesity levels,” he added.

Nicki Embleton, Cancer Research UK spokesperson for Yorkshire said: “The good news is that thanks to research and improved treatments, survival has improved.

“In the 1970s, almost six in 10 women diagnosed with the disease survived for at least 10 years. Now almost eight in 10 women survive.”