Wales faces 11% rise in new cancer cases by 2035 – PHW study

THERE will be around 24,000 new cancer cases in Wales identified in 2035, an increase of 11% from 2025, a new study suggests.

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The alarming rise, which includes all cancers apart from non-melanoma skin cancers, is described in a new Public Health Wales report 'Cancer in Wales - trends and projections,' is largely down to the ageing population in Wales, as cancer is more common in older people.

In the 20 years between 2005 and 2025, the number of people aged 65 and over in Wales is estimated to have increased by 186,000 and is projected to grow by another 135,000 in the next decade.

Cancer accounts for around one in four deaths of people in Wales - 9,123 deaths in Wales were recorded as being caused by cancer in 2024.

Although the likelihood of surviving for more than five years after a cancer diagnosis has been increasing, the total number of new cases has gone up - meaning that there are now 10% more deaths from cancer in Wales than in 2002.

Just over half the number of cases of cancer are made of the four most common types - prostate, breast, lung and colorectal (bowel) cancers.