In Britain as a whole there were 270,425 new cases diagnosed in 2000, an increase of 3,000 on the year before and nearly 15,000 on 1995. The figures, compiled by the UK Association of Cancer Registries and released by Cancer Research UK, show that while some cancers are declining, others are increasing sharply.

Scotland, which has Britain’s highest cancer rates, showed a small decline from 25,534 diagnoses in 1999 to 25,044 in 2000. This is largely explained by a decline in lung cancer in men, linked to reductions in smoking.

Several cancers have shown sharp increases: liver, melanoma, prostate and womb cancer all showed increases of more than 20 per cent over the period. Cancer Research UK said that soaring rates of obesity could be to blame for the increase in cancer of the uterus, which rose 8 per cent from 1999 to 2000 and 22 per cent over the five years to 2000.

Obesity could also be a factor in the prostate cancer rise. Increased fat raises the levels of hormones in the body, and both breast and prostate cancers are hormone-linked.

A more significant factor in the case of prostate cancer is, however, the increased use of a simple blood test that can pick up many cases of prostate cancer, including many that are not life-threatening.

The rise in melanoma, a virulent skin cancer, is related to exposure to the sun. It increased by 16 per cent in a single year, and by 24 per cent over five years.

The sharpest rise in percentage terms was, however, in liver cancer, even though it remains relatively uncommon. A possible explanation is the increasing levels of infection with hepatitis B and C. Both are known to increase the risk of liver cancer.

As people lived longer cancer had become more common, with figures rising steadily since the 1970s to the current all-time high, Cancer Research UK said. While cancer incidence had been going up, deaths were declining, reflecting earlier detection and better treatments, it said.

Professor Robert Souhami, director of clinical and external affairs, said: “Certain cancers are increasing more quickly than we’d expect simply by the ageing of the population.

“It’s worrying to see that melanoma rates are continuing to rise unabated and we really need to hammer home the sun protection message.

“It will also be important to understand the reasons for the increase in cancer of the uterus. It may be related to rising rates of obesity, which are pushing up the rates of a number of cancers in both women and men.

“The figures highlight the impact that cancer prevention strategies can make, with falls in smoking-related cancers, particularly in men, in cervical cancer, because of screening, and stomach cancer, thanks to improvements in food hygiene and preservation.”

Stomach cancer has been decreasing for 30 years, as improved hygiene has reduced infection with Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that is responsible for many cases. The use of refrigeration has also enabled a more balanced diet to be eaten throughout the year.

Screening is largely responsible for the fall in cervical cancer. There were 2,991 cases of the disease in 2000, a fall of 13 per cent over five years.

Professor David Forman, chairman of the UK Association of Cancer Registries, said: “Cancer mainly affects older people and as our population ages we are inevitably seeing more cases.

“But it’s important to pick out cancers where rates are increasing faster than we’d expect from changes in demographics so we can gain clues about causes.”

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