NHS struggling to cope with record levels of cancer diagnoses
The number of cancer cases in the UK has reached record levels, according to new figures that show one person is diagnosed every 80 seconds.
A review of the latest figures by Cancer Research UK found more than 403,000 people are diagnosed with the disease every year with increasingly cases driven by an ageing population and high rates of obesity.
The incidence has risen from 610 per 100,000 to 620 over the past decade but the proportion diagnosed at an early stage has barely shifted from 54% to 55%, the report noted.
NHS services are struggling to cope with rising demand, the charity said, with cancer waiting times across the UK among the worst on record.
While mortality rates from the condition have fallen and one in two people with cancer will survive for at least 10 years, progress is at risk of stalling as pressure on cancer services mounts, the charity added.
The National Cancer Plan published in February does lay out an ‘ambitious strategy’ for getting back on track but funding and implementation is still needed.
Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: ‘More people are being diagnosed with cancer than ever before.
‘Although cancer survival has doubled since the 1970s, progress has slowed over the last decade.
‘Publishing the plan is not a “job done” on cancer: ambitions to diagnose cancers earlier, meet cancer wait targets and improve best practice treatment must happen quickly.’
Around 107,000 cancer patients were waiting more than 62 days to start treatment across the UK in 2025.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘We have delivered a record number of diagnostic tests in the last 12 months, backed by an extra £26 billion for the NHS – and the number of patients getting a cancer diagnosis or all-clear on time is the highest in five years – but we are not complacent.
“Our National Cancer Plan sets out how patients will receive a diagnosis faster, treatment sooner and better support to live well with cancer, with the aim of 75% of patients diagnosed from 2035 to be cancer-free or living well after five years.’
An NHS spokesperson said: ‘Latest data shows that early diagnosis in England is at a record high and is continuing to rise, with staff also now delivering 30% more cancer checks than in 2021 – ensuring survival is also at an all-time high.
‘But we know we need to go further to diagnose more cancers earlier and save more lives, which is why the National Cancer Plan will transform services to speed up diagnosis, cut waits and improve care for anyone affected.’
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