Cancer overview

Cancer is the name given to any illness caused by the abnormal growth of cells in your body. Someone is diagnosed with cancer in the UK every two minutes. There are around 298,000 new cases diagnosed in Britain each year and more than 200 types of cancer. Breast, lung, bowel and prostate cancer are the most common types of cancer, together accounting for over half of new cancers each year. Cancer symptoms vary widely based on the type of cancer but typical treatment includes chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. If you're considering complementary cancer treatments, discuss this with your doctor as they may interact with other cancer treatments.