Five big issues people with cancer in the UK are concerned about right now
There are almost 3.5 million people living with cancer in the UK.[i] Every year more than 385,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with cancer.
Yet no experience of cancer is the same. Cancer is personal, and it affects everyone differently - from mental health, body confidence, fertility and parenting to disability, relationships and work. We're doing whatever it takes to help more people with cancer get the best care the UK has to offer, whoever and wherever they are.
1. Lack of support: 20% of people going through cancer treatment are not receiving any support with their concerns.
2. Fatigue, pain and sleep: 79% of people living with cancer have physical concerns like fatigue, pain or sleep problems.
3. Worry, anxiety and loneliness: 72% of people living with cancer have emotional concerns like anxiety or depression - rising to 84% for those with a disability.
4. Loss of income, bills and insurance: 66% of people living with cancer have money worries, including loss of income, increased costs and insurance.
5. Washing, dressing and shopping: 53% of people with cancer need help with daily tasks like washing and dressing, housework and transport.
At the bottom, the infographic includes a reference to "www.macmillan.org.uk/five-big-issues" and the Macmillan Support Line: 0808 808 00 00.
More than a quarter of people with cancer in the UK (29%) have multiple concerns
This covers physical, emotional, practical and financial concerns. The number of people with one or more concerns in all four of these areas rises to a third (34%) of people with cancer who are ethnically diverse, 36% of people with cancer who are LGBTQ+, and 43% of people with cancer who have a disability. [ii]
There is a lack of support for physical or emotional concerns
1 in 5 people going through cancer treatment in the UK (20%) are struggling with serious physical or emotional concerns for which they are not receiving any support. [iii]
Three quarters of people with cancer struggle with physical concerns
Overall, more than three quarters of people living with cancer (79%) have one or more physical concerns, including fatigue, pain, sleep problems and bowel and bladder issues. [iiii]
This rises to 86% of people with cancer who have a serious disability, 77% of people with cancer who are ethnically diverse, and 88% of people with cancer diagnosed in the last 5 years.
Nearly three quarters of people living with cancer (72%) have emotional concerns
These include worry, fear or anxiety, sadness or depression, loss of confidence and loneliness. [iiii]
This rises to 84% of people with cancer who have a serious disability and 82% of people with cancer diagnosed in the last 5 years. It also includes 69% of people with cancer who are ethnically diverse.
Two in three people living with cancer (66%) have financial concerns
These include loss of income, increased costs, paying their bills and accessing insurance. [iiii]
This rises to 80% of people with cancer who have a serious disability, 75% of people with cancer who are ethnically diverse, and 74% of people with cancer diagnosed in the last 5 years.
Half of people living with cancer (53%) have practical concerns
These include washing and dressing, housework, shopping and transport, as well as looking after others. [iiii]
This rises to 82% of people with cancer who have a serious disability, 60% of people with cancer who are ethnically diverse, and 64% of people with cancer diagnosed in the last 5 years.
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References
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References and sources used
[i] Reference: Macmillan Cancer Support. Cancer prevalence. Accessed January 2025
[ii] Reference: Macmillan Cancer Support/YouGov survey of people with cancer, June 2024. For more details see: Macmillan Cancer Support. Charity calls for urgent investment in cancer care, as patients warn it’s harder to have cancer now ‘than any other time they can remember’. October 2024
[iii] Reference: Macmillan Cancer Support/YouGov survey of people with cancer, June 2024. For more details see: Macmillan Cancer Support. Charity calls for urgent investment in cancer care, as patients warn it’s harder to have cancer now ‘than any other time they can remember’. October 2024
[iiii] Macmillan Cancer Support/YouGov surveys of 2,057 adults in the UK who have had a cancer diagnosis, including 78 responses from people with cancer who are ethnically diverse, 348 people with cancer who have a disability that substantially limits their day-to-day activities for at least 12 months, and 930 people who were diagnosed with their most recent cancer diagnosis within the past 5 years. Fieldwork was undertaken between 3rd and 27th January 2025. The surveys were carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of people living with cancer in the UK (aged 18+). Question wording was as follows: Have you had any concerns about any of the following issues in the last few weeks, which were caused or have been made worse by your experience of cancer? (Please mark on the scale of 1-5, where 1 is 'not an area of concern' and 5 is 'an area of great concern)
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