Cancer death rates 'third higher' among men

British men are more than 35 per cent more likely to die from cancer than women, a new study has discovered.

The research, which was presented at the Men's Health Forum conference in London and was produced by Cancer Research UK, the Men's Health Forum and the National Cancer Intelligence Network, showed that men under 65 were 58 per cent more likely to die from cancers that affect both sexes.

The disease is the leading cause of death among men in Britain, with quantitative analysis showing that around 82,500 men die as a result of the condition annually..

When breast cancer and sex-specific cancer such as prostate, testicular and ovarian cancers are taken out of the analysis, men are 67 per cent more likely to die from the disease.

As well as this, males are almost twice as likely as women to die from liver cancer and are three times as likely to die from oesophageal cancer.

It is believed that the contrast in cancer death rates may be a result of more men being diagnosed with types of the disease which are harder to treat, such as cancers of the bladder, liver and oesophagus.

Professor Alan White, chairman of the Men’s Health Forum and co-author of the report based at Leeds Metropolitan University, said: "The impact cancer has on younger men is often overlooked, but these are men whose life is cut too short by the disease.

"Our report highlights just how big a problem cancer is and highlights the need to understand the reasons why men are more likely to die of cancer. It’s crucial that the NHS leads the way in taking a more proactive approach to prevent men both getting and dying from cancer prematurely."

Mr White explained that the Men's Health Forum is campaigning for a "better explanation" of the differences in gender, as well as more male-focused cancer prevention work.