According to a new research, about 4.1 million people above the age of 65 will be livening with cancer by the year 2040.

The study suggests that the number will treble from 1.3 million in 2010, which means that about one in every four older people will receive a cancer diagnosis in 2040, according to the study funded by the Macmillan Cancer Support charity.

Researchers at King's College London said that the increase in number might be due to various reasons including ageing population, increased incidence of cancer and increasing cancer survival rates. Overall, 23 per cent of older people will have had a cancer diagnosis in 2040 compared with 13 per cent in 2010.

An author of the study, Professor Henrik Moller said, “The aim of this research is to provide long-term projections of cancer prevalence in the UK. The research shows that large increases can be expected in the oldest age groups in the coming decades and, with this, an increased demand upon health services.”

Macmillan Cancer Support chief executive Ciaran Devane said that the study is a warning to the NHS and social care in the UK about problems that the system have to deal with to provide the best care to elder cancer patients in the UK.