Cancer
Areas of the UK with a growing elderly population will have serious implications for the future of the provision of cancer services, according to a 20-year forecast compiled by the UK Association of Cancer Registries.
As the risk of developing cancer increases with age, the number of people aged over 65 in the UK is a good indicator of the expected number of future cancer cases. As projections indicate that this demographic is set to increase with the oldest populations getting even older while the youngest remaining relatively stable, it is therefore expected that some areas are likely to need extra resources to cope with the growing cancer burden.
Currently, Wales has the oldest population in the UK, with 17% of people over 65 years of age, England and Scotland follow a close second with 16% of the population also being over this age, while in Northern Ireland, only 13% of people fall in to this age bracket.
Future estimations show that in Wales and Scotland, the proportion of over 65s is expected to increase to 23% by 2024, in England this figure should rise to 21% and Northern Ireland is estimated to have 19% of its population over 65 by this time.
The availability of work and the popularity of some parts of the country for retirement are helping to shape the demographic changes, meaning some areas are more densely populated with elderly people.
"Increases in cancer incidence will largely reflect the shifts in population age, leaving some areas more heavily burdened," said Professor David Forman, chairman of the UK Association of Cancer Registries.
