HC Deb 19 June 1992 vol 209 c706W
Mr. David Atkinson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her estimate of the percentage of the population who will develop cancer; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Sackville

Statistical analysis of data relating to the period 1985 to 1987 suggests that approximately one third of the population of England and Wales will, at some point in their lives, be registered with a malignant cancer. More detailed data are published in the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys publication "Cancer statistics: registrations 1986", series MB1 No. 19, a copy of which is available in the Library.