Dorset has highest rates of cancer

It is one of the most attractive counties of southern Britain with rolling hills, thatched cottages and a glorious coastline. It is also England's cancer capital.

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Cancer strikes twice as often in Dorset as it does in London, according to the National Cancer Intelligence Network. Its residents succumb to the disease at a rate of 671 per 100,000 population, compared with 324 in north-east London.

Dorset is a haven for the retired and cancer is a disease of old age. Yet even after correcting for its older population, Dorset still tops the table with the highest incidence of cancer (418.6 per 100,000). London, with its young, mobile population has the lowest. Breast cancer and bowel cancer rates are above average and Dorset has the highest incidence of prostate cancer in the country.

There is some good news for Dorset. It may be a good place to have cancer as the county's death rate is well below average. Joanna Owens of Cancer Research UK, which released the figures, said: "The main factor in cancer incidence is age. Many of the cancers in Dorset are 'good prognosis' cancers which respond to treatment. As it is an affluent area, people are well aware of the symptoms and know to report things early."

The figures showed a 20 per cent higher death rate in the North than in southern regions.