Experts warn that progress in cancer survival rates is ‘slowing’
Significant disparities in survival rates found across cancer types
- A new study reveals that progress in cancer survival rates across the UK has "slowed down", with the disparity between the most and least deadly forms of the disease widening.
- The comprehensive research, led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and funded by Cancer Research UK, analysed long-term trends from 1971 to 2018 for millions of adults in England and Wales.
- While the 10-year cancer survival index reached 49.8 per cent in 2018, the rate of improvement has declined sharply, from a 4 per cent rise between 2000 and 2005 to just 1.4 per cent between 2010 and 2015.
- Significant disparities persist across cancer types, with 10-year survival for testicular cancer at 97 per cent, contrasting sharply with only 4.3 per cent for pancreatic cancer, indicating a system-wide challenge.
- Experts, including Cancer Research UK, are urgently calling for a national cancer plan to address delays, improve early diagnosis, and boost screening programmes to reverse this concerning trend.