Five big issues people with cancer in the UK are concerned about right now
Every year more than 385,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with cancer and there are currently at least 3 million people living with cancer across the UK. At Macmillan Cancer Support, we do whatever it takes to help improve the lives of people living with cancer.
By conducting research, we can find out more about how the lives of people are affected by cancer. Data from some of our latest research(i) shows the following five issues are big concerns affecting people in the UK with some of the most common cancer types (lung, melanoma, breast, and head and neck):
- Travel insurance
- Financial issues such as increased costs and paying bills
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Sleep problems
- Anxiety and depression.
Travel insurance a top concern for people with melanoma and head and neck cancer
Travel insurance was also highlighted as one of the top concerns of those with melanoma (skin cancer), with 22% of people with this type of cancer identifying it as an issue(iv). Travel insurance can be more difficult to get if you have cancer. Get more information on how cancer can affect getting travel insurance and what you need to know before purchasing insurance.
Almost one in three people with lung cancer (30%) are worried about increasing costs
A quarter of people with cancer struggle with exhaustion
Physical, emotional, and mental health issues are common concerns for people with cancer, as shown by Macmillan’s research. According to its most recent analysis, one in four of those with cancer (25%) say that feeling exhausted and fatigued has been a concern in recent weeks(v), making it one of the most common physical and emotional issues people are facing.
Fatigue is feeling very tired most, or all, of the time. It is more extreme than everyday tiredness and it can affect your ability to do basic tasks such as getting dressed or brushing your hair. There are many causes of cancer-related fatigue including cancer itself, cancer treatments, and other medical issues such as anaemia.
Feeling tired can be a symptom of lung cancer. Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK. More than 45,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer every year.
Fatigue is more common amongst those with lung cancer, with Macmillan’s figures showing that two in five people with lung cancer (39%) have faced concerning levels of fatigue in recent weeks(vi).
Sleep problems a leading issue for people with breast cancer
A fifth of people living with cancer also dealing with fear and anxiety
Impact of cancer on intimate relationships and fertility
Analysis of Macmillan’s eHNA data shows concerns around sex, intimacy and fertility are relatively common among those with urological cancers(xiv). Urology is the area of medicine that deals with the kidneys, ureter, bladder, prostate, and male reproductive organs.
References
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References and sources used
Below are the references used in this information.
i. Macmillan Cancer Support/YouGov survey of 2,050 adults in the UK who have had a cancer diagnosis. The vast majority of fieldwork was undertaken between 31st May and 15th June 2022, with a small additional sample surveyed on 9th and 10th July 2022. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of people living with cancer in the UK.
ii. As per ref i. Respondents were shown a list of possible physical and emotional concerns they could have been experiencing in the past few weeks as a result of their cancer or its treatment; the figures reported here refer to those that respondents selected as being either 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale related to their level of concern, equating to being of ‘moderate concern’.
iii. As per ref i. Survey included 56 respondents living with head and neck cancer.
iv. As per ref i. Survey included 171 respondents living with melanoma.
v. As per ref i.
vi. As per ref i. Survey included 66 respondents with lung cancer.
vii. Based on responses from 3,947 holistic needs assessments completed by lung cancer patients on Macmillan's eHNA platform between January 2022 and 1 September 2022 across the UK. “Tired, exhausted or fatigued” was reported as a concern in a total of 479 assessments carried out at the point of initial diagnosis.
viii. As per ref vii.
ix. As per ref i.
x. As per ref i.
xi. Based on responses from 42,468 holistic needs assessments completed by breast cancer patients on Macmillan's eHNA platform between 2019 and 1 September 2022 across the UK. Sleep problems were reported as a concern in 8,839 of these assessments. When looking at specific stages of a person’s diagnosis and treatment, sleep problems were reported as a concern in 21% of assessments carried out during treatment (1,824/8,643) and in 24% of assessments carried out at the end of treatment (3,819/15,661).
xii. As per ref i.
xiii. As per ref xi. Worry, fear or anxiety was reported as a concern in 28% of assessments carried out at initial diagnosis (3,104/11,100), 35% of assessments carried out at the start of treatment (1,305/3,743) and 29% of those carried out at the end of treatment (4,529/15,561).
xiv. Based on responses from 38,985 holistic needs assessments completed by urology patients on Macmillan's eHNA platform between 2019 and 1 September 2022, across the UK. Overall, sex, intimacy or fertility was raised as a concern in 4,683 assessments (12%).