Progress in cancer survival in Britain is slowest in 50 years, study shows
Progress in cancer survival in Britain has fallen to its lowest level in fifty years report has emerged, with experts blaming the impact of cuts on the country’s health.
The study by researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, commissioned by Cancer Research UK, predicts that by 2040 there will be half a million new cases of cancer in Britain every year.
According to the report, almost half of all cancer patients (49.8%) now survive for at least ten years. But the pace of progress in improving forecasting slowed significantly after 2010, increasing by an average of 0.6% per year between 2011 and 2018. In previous decades, ten-year survival increased by 1.5% to 2.7% per year.
Figures from the WHO’s cancer wing, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, show that global cancer cases will rise by more than 75% by 2050 due to a combination of factors, including tobacco use, alcohol use and obesity.
Mark Lawler, professor of digital health at Queen’s University Belfast and chair of Lancet Oncology’s European Groundshot Cancer Committee, said the slow improvement in 10-year cancer survival reported in the Cancer Research UK study made for surprising reading.
“Good health and austerity do not go together, resulting in fewer resources being spent on cancer prevention and treatment. And the bad news is that things won’t get better anytime soon as the impact of Covid and national lockdowns has delayed survival of certain cancers, such as bowel cancer, by almost a decade,” he said.
“Inexplicably, this is precisely the moment when the government has moved from a national cancer strategy to a serious conditions strategy, which goes against international best practice.”
John Ashton, former president of the UK Faculty of Public Health, said public health budgets were making cancer prevention increasingly difficult.
“The cancer prevention agenda is about quitting smoking, a healthy weight, less alcohol and a healthy diet. Public health teams don’t really have the resources to focus on the prevention side of cancer. (Combined with the pressure on GP practices and the wider NHS) the picture is bleak from a prevention point of view, from an early intervention point of view and from a treatment point of view.
Jon Shelton, head of cancer information at Cancer Research UK, said: “Cancer survival is not improving fast enough. People wait far too long to be diagnosed and start treatment, with cancer waiting time targets consistently missed. And we need to prevent more cancer cases.
“Smoking is still the leading preventable cause of death. That’s why we’re calling on all MPs to support the coming era of retail legislation, which could help prevent the next generation from ever becoming addicted and prevent tens of thousands of premature deaths every year. ”
IARCs global cancer observatorycovering 185 countries and 36 types of cancer, shows that 10 types of cancer were responsible for about two-thirds of new cases and deaths worldwide in 2022.
It predicts that the global burden of cancer will rise from 14.1 million new cases and 8.2 million deaths worldwide in 2012 to 20 million new cases and 9.7 million deaths a decade later.
The IARC predicts that there will be more than 35 million new cases of cancer by 2050, a 77% increase over 2022 levels, and that the number of deaths will have almost doubled since 2012 to more than 18 million.
Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, accounting for 12.4% of new cases and 18.7% of deaths. In Britain, Cancer Research said increased lung cancer screening in all four countries could prevent around 1,900 lung cancer deaths per year.
Despite many people quitting, smoking is still the leading cause of cancer, causing 150 cases of cancer every day in Britain, the charity said.
Dr. Cary Adams, head of the Union for International Cancer Control, said: “Despite the progress made in the early detection of cancer and the treatment and care of cancer patients, there are significant differences in the outcomes of cancer treatments, not just between high- and low-income regions of the world, but also within countries.
“Where someone lives should not determine whether he or she lives. Tools exist to enable governments to prioritize cancer care and ensure everyone has access to affordable, quality services. This is not just a matter of resources, but a matter of political will.”