UK public 'dangerously optimistic' about long-term illness

Think tank Social Market Foundation (SMF) has today warned that the British public dangerously underestimates the medical risks associated with an ageing population. It added that most people are over-optimistic about their chances of avoiding cancer, dementia and other serious conditions over the course of their lifetime. Only 22% expect to experience cancer in their lifetime, SMF's ‘Health, Care and the 100-year life' report found, despite Cancer Research UK estimating that half of all people born after 1960 will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. Just 17% expect to ...