Cancer is a source of fear for many older Britons, with every strange lump or ache a potential sign of a disease which will hit half of us in our lives.
But while 80-somethings are statistically most likely to be struck down, cancer is by no means discriminate.
Indeed, top experts are alarmed by a mysterious spike in early onset cancer – when it occurs in someone under 50. A topic was thrust into the spotlight following the shock diagnosis