HEALTH campaigners warned yesterday the number of people living with cancer in Britain will hit 3.4 million this year, the highest figure ever reported.

Data analysed by Macmillan Cancer Support found about half a million more people will be living with cancer in 2025 than five years ago.

A growing and ageing population, a gradual rise in survival rates for some types of the disease and a rise in people diagnosed with cancers such as thyroid, liver and melanoma are fuelling the increase.

The charity warned that the experience of having cancer is getting worse for many people, with delays to treatment and a postcode lottery of care.

The estimated 3.4 million people who will be living with cancer by December 2025 include around 890,000 women with breast cancer, 610,000 men with prostate cancer, 390,000 people with bowel cancer and 120,000 with lung cancer.

Macmillan chief executive Gemma Peters said: “The number of people living with cancer in the UK is rising, and, for many, things are getting worse.”