00:00It's a worrying picture for Merseyside and the wider North West, where new figures suggest
00:05many more people are living with cancer compared with the national average. The findings come
00:11from the fifth regional report published by Northwest Cancer Research, which looks specifically
00:17at cancer prevalence, the number of people currently living with the disease. According
00:21to the charity, the overall cancer prevalence rate in Merseyside is 4% higher than the rest
00:27of the country. The report highlights lung cancer as the most striking difference, with
00:31rates recorded as 51% above the national benchmark. Liver cancer is 33% more prevalent in Merseyside
00:39than the national average, whilst head and neck cancers are reported as 31% higher.
00:45Across the North West as a whole, 16 of the 20 major cancers examined in the report were
00:51found to be more common than the national average. Lung and esophageal cancers show the widest
00:56gaps, both recorded at 19% higher. Cervical, head and neck, bladder and skin cancers are
01:02also noted as more prevalent in the region, with increased rates of 18, 17, 13 and 11%
01:09respectively. The report states that 5,630 people per 100,000 in the North West are currently
01:18living with cancer. Northwest Cancer Research says that deprivation age and other socioeconomic
01:23pressures appear to be key contributors to the regional disparities.
01:28Alistair Richards, the charity's chief executive, says understanding the multi-faceted complexities
01:33of the North West Cancer landscape is essential to improving outcomes and that continued research
01:39is vital to identify where support is needed most.
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