The crab in the rock pool is a fairly common sight, but in 2021 there was a mass die-off of crabs and lobsters over a 40 mile stretch of the east coast centred on the Tees estuary. this coincided with the demolition of old industrial sites, with the waste material dumped at sea, and dredging around the mouth of the Tees in readiness for the construction of a Tees freeport. The toxins released included coal tar and pyridine. The cause of the crab deaths is disputed. Government sponsored research suggested a pathogen. There are some signs now of crab revival but local people report still more dead crabs washing up than is normal. The title 'Cancer' refers both to the crab and to one of the health consequences of pollution.