Britain used to be one of the best countries in the world with regards to cancer treatment and research. However, it is now lagging behind other nations, with patients having to endure long waiting times and unequal access to treatment.

The UK’s slowing cancer survival progress

The scale of the problem was revealed in a study, which was commissioned by Cancer Research UK. It showed that progress in cancer survival has now hit a 50-year low, despite the rising number of cases.

Indeed, the number of people being diagnosed with cancer is expected to increase by a fifth before 2038/40, which makes the recent statistics even more alarming for cancer patients.

The report revealed the proportion of people expected to survive cancer for ten years or longer rose from 24 per cent to 48 per cent between 1971/72 to 2010/11.

However, it then increased by just two per cent from 2010/11 to 2018/19, demonstrating the huge slowdown in progression.

What has caused cancer survival progress to slow down?

 More people being diagnosed

One of the main reasons why cancer survival progress has not continued at the same speed as in previous decades is that there has been a surge in the number of people being diagnosed with cancer.

Although treatments at chemotherapy and radiotherapy centres have come a long way over the last few decades, the number of people who are getting a diagnosis they dread is rising.

According to a recent report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer together with the World Health Organisation, cancer cases in Britain will increase by as much as 37 per cent by 2050. This will result in 624,582 people in the UK being diagnosed with cancer a year, despite four in ten cancer cases being preventable.

As smoking, sun exposure, obesity, lack of exercise, alcohol consumption and poor nutrition all increase the likelihood of developing cancer, Brits should be doing more to improve their health and increase their cancer survival.

However, the rate of diagnosis is still going up, suggesting there is not enough awareness over the importance of lifestyle factors when it comes to cancer prevention.

According to Cancer Research, maintaining a healthy weight can cut the risk of 13 types of cancer, alcohol can cause seven types of cancer, and smoking can result in 15 types of cancer. In fact, tobacco has been found to be the biggest cause of cancer in the world, which is why it is essential to stop smoking to improve health outcomes.

Different cancer policies abroad

It also stated that other countries, including Australia, Canada, Denmark and Norway, had achieved much better rates of progression due to having different policies regarding cancer treatment research and development (R&D), as well as care.

The authors of the report, who were experts from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, wrote: “Differences in policy between countries may also explain some of this international variation.”

“Countries with consistent cancer policies have seen the greatest improvements in cancer survival between 1995 and 2014,” it added.

Long waits

Although more people are being diagnosed these days, this does not necessarily mean they are receiving treatment earlier.

The rising demand for cancer services means people are having to wait longer than ever for treatment.

The NHS recently failed to hit its target of having 85 per cent of patients starting treatment for cancer after an urgent referral within 62 days, as only 65.2 per cent of people began their course in this time frame.

At the same time, 71.9 per cent of patients who were urgently referred in November 2023 either received a diagnosis or had it ruled out within 28 days. This is below its goal of 75 per cent. Therefore, nearly one-fifth of people who were suspected of having cancer had to wait more than a month to find out their prognosis.

Chief executive of Cancer Research UK Michelle Mitchell said: “It’s worrying that the rate of improvement has slowed in recent years though, and cancer patients today face anxious and historically long waits for tests and treatments.”

Late diagnoses

Patients are not just waiting long to receive treatment, but they are not finding out about their diagnosis early enough too.

The rate of survival can massively increase if cancer is detected sooner, which is why it is so important that people get themselves checked out if they suspect anything.

For instance, almost all breast cancer patients can survive more than five years if diagnosed at the earliest stage in comparison with three in ten patients who are diagnosed at the latest stage.

When it comes to bowel cancer, 90 per cent of people who are found to have the illness at the earliest stage can live for more than five years. However, this falls to just one in ten for those who are diagnosed at the latest stage.

John Shelton, head of cancer intelligence at Cancer Research UK, said: “People are waiting far too long for diagnosis and to start treatment, with cancer waiting targets consistently being missed.”

Need to prevent more cancers

The UK also needs to do more to prevent cancers, with Cancer Research wanting the government to plough more money into R&D, as well as healthcare services.

It states there will be a funding gap of more than £1 billion by the end of the 2039 at the current rate of investment.

Cancer Research UK believes the government should set up a National Cancer Council for England, with the organisation focused on improving prevention of new cases, as well as cutting waiting times for diagnosis and treatment.

Focusing on making the UK smokefree could result in 18,200 fewer cancer cases by 2040, while encouraging healthier lifestyles can prevent even more diagnoses.

What’s more, the council, which would be accountable to the Prime Minister, would provide a ten-year strategy that brings together action from research, NHS services, innovation and public health for a more coordinated movement.

It also wants the next government to improve biomedical research and re-establish Britain at the forefront of R&D, attracting investment and scientists from around the world.

Making cancer prevention, research, diagnosis and treatment a focus could help Britain improve its survival rates, instead of putting people at risk of losing friends and family, or even their own lives, to the terrible illness.