UK has some of worst cancer survival rates in developed world, report says

The UK lags behind many developed nations in cancer survival rates, particularly for cancers like lung, liver, brain, oesophageal, pancreatic, and stomach, a study by the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce reveals. The UK's five-year survival rates for these cancers average at 16%.

Ranked against 33 similar countries, the UK’s standing is concerning, coming in 28th for stomach and lung cancers, 26th for pancreatic, 25th for brain, and 21st and 16th for liver and oesophageal cancers respectively.

Nearly half of all UK cancer deaths are due to these six cancers, with over 90,000 new cases each year. An improvement to match the highest survival rates seen in countries like Korea, Belgium, the US, Australia, and China could save over 8,000 UK lives annually, according to the taskforce.

The taskforce's Chair, Anna Jewell, highlights the importance of enhancing research, speeding up diagnoses, and improving treatments. Pancreatic cancer treatment statistics are particularly grim, with 70% of UK patients going untreated and only 10% undergoing surgery.

Prof Pat Price criticized the UK's poor survival rates and called for a comprehensive cancer plan to improve care. Echoing the necessity for a strategy, Mark Lawler from Queen's University Belfast emphasized the urgent need for a cancer plan focused on early diagnosis and treatment access.

NHS England responded that cancer survival is at its highest, with a clear improvement in early detection efforts such as community lung health checks, which have diagnosed over 3,000 cancers early. The Department of Health and Social Care also affirmed progress in early diagnosis and treatment across various cancer types.