People in Britain diagnosed with the two deadliest cancers are dying earlier than people in many other comparable countries, a new study has found.
Research from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has found that Britain ranks a lowly 31st out of 43 countries in the number of people who survive at least five years after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
The UK was below the EU and OECD average, as were survival rates in the US, Germany and France.
It ranks 26th for five-year colon cancer survival, below South Korea, Belgium and New Zealand.
Lung cancer is the Britain’s biggest cancer killerwhich claims 34,800 lives annually – 95 per day. Colon cancer, the second most common form of cancer deathkills 16,800 people.
Britain does better when it comes to five-year survival of breast cancer. It is above the OECD and EU average in this regard, but still only performs 23rd out of 45 countries surveyed. The disease kills 11,500 lives a year in Britain – 32 a day – and is the second deadliest form of cancer for women.
“The data doesn’t lie. This timely report shows that we are still behind the majority of OECD countries in many of the leading cancers and highlights why cancer has become the biggest killer in Britain,” said Mark Lawler, Chairman of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership and professor. of Digital Health at Queen’s University Belfast.
The country fares better when rated on cancer screening. It has the seventh highest cervical cancer screening rate of 30 countries and the 11th highest rate of 33 for breast cancer.
Dr. Ian Walker, executive director of policy at Cancer Research UK, said: “Britain should be leading the world in cancer outcomes, but there is evidence that cancer survival here lags behind comparable countries. Cancer patients deserve the highest quality care wherever they live, and these numbers are unacceptable.
“The UK government has the opportunity to turn things around, but it will have to deliver on the positive promises it has made on cancer. Developing a fully funded National Cancer Plan, in addition to implementing crucial prevention legislation such as the Tobacco and Vaping Act, will be critical to transforming the lives of people affected by cancer.”
Prof. Pat Price, a leading oncologist and founder of the Catch Up With Cancer campaign, said: “This report exposes the devastating toll cancer is taking on lives and our economy. The ongoing cancer crisis must be one of our top political priorities.
“This is not just an NHS problem. It is a national issue in the broadest sense of the word. It’s about saving lives. It’s about protecting our healthcare system. It’s about rebuilding productivity.”
The OECD also found that:
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UK spending on cancer will rise from £14.4 billion to more than £23 billion by 2050 as an aging population will mean more people are diagnosed.
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Cancer will cause one in four deaths among people under 75 between now and 2050.
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At any given time, 170,000 people cannot work because they have cancer.
Lawler, Walker and Price urged Wes Streeting, the Health Minister, to draw up a special ten-year plan to prevent more cancer cases and improve care for those diagnosed.
Streeting recently indicated that he indeed intended to do so, but it is unclear whether the strategy will be released before or after his promised ten-year health plan, which is due next spring.