Being diagnosed with cancer, now more common than getting married

A new study had shown that being diagnosed with cancer is now more common than getting married or having a first baby.

About 361,216 cancers were diagnosed in 2014, compared to 289,841 marriages, and 271,050 births to first-time mothers says Macmillan Cancer Support.
That’s more than the 271,050 babies born to first-time mothers a year later. And cases have risen 30% since 2000.

Cancer is now almost as common as graduating from university and some 370,910 students obtained their degree in 2014/15.

The figures have been compiled by Macmillan to highlight how many of the public are not prepared for a diagnosis of cancer.

Separate research by the charity has found that many adults develop the illness in the prime of life, before they reach 65.

As more and more people are being diagnosed with cancer, it’s important that we are all better informed about what to expect, Macmillan Cancer Support chief Lynda Thomas said.

It’s mostly life-changing, but not always life-ending.

The data also showed that, more than 1.2 million people have been diagnosed with cancer under the age of 65 over the last decade. This includes 343,000 people who developed cancer in their 20s, 30s or 40s from 2006 to 2015.

Of 2,000 questioned, 37% said cancer is the disease feared most, ahead of Alzheimer’s (27%), stroke (7%), depression (4%) and heart disease (4%).

And for 10% of people, cancer is the biggest fear of all, ahead of losing a loved one, their own death or terrorism. Projections suggest around half of us will develop cancer at some point. But 90% of people living with it said they were living their lives as normally as they could.