Cancer the Only Cause of Death in Dozens of Neighbourhoods

Cancer is the only cause of death in dozens of neighbourhoods in England and Wales, analysis suggests.

MailOnline’s investigation – presented below in an interactive map – analysed every fatality recorded in 2023.

It divides the two nations into 36,000 districts, allowing you to see exactly how many people died from cancer within your immediate vicinity.

Cancer was responsible for 100 per cent of deaths in 210 unique areas, technically called LSOAs.

These were scattered across parts of London, as well as Cardiff, and further afield in the likes of Wiltshire and Northamptonshire.

Each authority within England and Wales is separated into dozens of these neighbourhoods, typically home to around 1,500 people living within a few streets of each other.

Prevalence of Cancer Deaths

In total, there are around 36,000 LSOAs.

MailOnline found cancer was responsible for 50 per cent of deaths in 4,679 of the zones, or 13 per cent.

Helen Morgan, health and social care spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, told MailOnline: ‘A cancer diagnosis is one of the most difficult experiences someone can go through and we know that starting treatment as quickly as possible is vital to increase chances of survival.

‘But in so many cases people are waiting far too long to be treated, at the mercy of a cancer care postcode lottery.’

She added that the party are calling on the government to publish a ten-year cancer plan to tackle treatment shortfalls.

Cancer Statistics

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) says there were 581,363 deaths logged in England and Wales in 2023.

Alzheimer’s and dementia remained the biggest killers, followed by heart disease.

Covid was not in the top five causes of death for the second year in a row.

Cancer is split into different subtypes because there are more than 200 different types of the disease, including bowel, skin, lung, prostate and breast.

One particular zone within the Newlands area of Castle Point, next to Canvey Island, recorded the highest raw number of deaths from cancer.

There, ONS figures show 29 of the 57 deaths that occurred in 2023 were from cancer.

The ONS statistics represent the number of deaths registered in the calendar year 2023.

Data Limitations

Because late registrations are common, some data may be missing.

To protect the confidentiality of individuals, the ONS rounds small amounts per area.

It means counts of 0, 1, and 2 are always rounded to 0. Counts of 3, 4, and 5 are rounded to 5.

This could have skewed the findings.

Deaths registered are matched to where the person lived as opposed to where they died, meaning concentrations do not occur around hospitals and hospices.

Urgent Action Needed

One in two of us will get cancer at some point in our lives, figures suggest.

Experts have long demanded urgent action to tackle the unfolding catastrophe, calling for a ‘seismic shift in our approach to cancer care’ to save thousands from dying prematurely.

Last week experts warned cancer care in the UK is at ‘breaking point’ and lagging behind other nations because of ‘gross mismanagement’.

Delayed cancer treatment has become ‘the deadly norm’, the leading doctors wrote in The Lancet Oncology. They said no improvements will be made without radical change.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting launched a consultation on a new National Cancer Plan earlier this year, inviting people to contribute their thoughts.

But this followed a similar call for evidence on a ten-year cancer plan by the then health secretary Sajid Javid in February 2022.

Conclusion

In conclusion, cancer is a major cause of death in England and Wales, with some areas experiencing a higher proportion of cancer deaths than others. The data highlights the need for urgent action to improve cancer care and reduce the number of deaths from the disease.

FAQs

Q: How many people died from cancer in England and Wales in 2023?

A: According to the ONS, there were 581,363 deaths logged in England and Wales in 2023, with cancer being a major cause of death.

Q: What is the most common type of cancer?

A: There are over 200 different types of cancer, with the most common types including bowel, skin, lung, prostate, and breast cancer.

Q: What is being done to improve cancer care in the UK?

A: The government has launched a consultation on a new National Cancer Plan, and experts are calling for a ‘seismic shift’ in the approach to cancer care to save thousands of lives.

About The Author