While cancer is already a threatening disease, which could attack anyone, anytime, taking a person's life or sparing him, an estimate by a charity has confirmed the risk to almost 50% of the UK population of getting cancer.

Macmillan Cancer Support, the charity, has warned that almost 47% of the total population could develop the fatal disease during their life span by 2020.

Though, survival rates had gotten better, the charity said, a "herculean challenge" could be imposed by caring for cancer patients and survivors to society. It said that the NHS also could face the challenge over the next 10 years.

Macmillan told that the number of people at risk of getting cancer at some point of their life had significantly risen over past two decades. The current trends, if continue, would make the scenario more concerning.

It is being said that advanced treatment technologies have improved survival rates along with better diagnosis. But, people have been living with physical as well as emotional after-effects, which is a concerning fact.

"The NHS will not be able to cope with the huge increase in demand for cancer services without a fundamental shift towards proper after-care", affirmed Macmillan's chief executive, Ciaran Devane.