The cells inside a tumour change and evolve just like animals in the wild. Understanding how this works could help us stop cancer in its tracks

Will we ever win the “war on cancer”?

The latest figures show just how distant a prospect victory is right now. In the US, the lifetime risk of developing cancer is 42% in men and 38% in women, according to the American Cancer Society. The figures are even worse in the UK. According to Cancer Research UK, 54% of men and 48% of women will get cancer at some point in their lives.

And cases are on the rise. As of 2015 there are 2.5 million people in the UK living with the disease, according to Macmillan Cancer Support. This is an increase of 3% each year, or 400,000 extra cases in five years.

Source: BBC – Earth – How cancer was created by evolution