The number of people diagnosed with cancer in the UK has reached a record high, with one person now receiving a diagnosis every 80 seconds, according to a report from Cancer Research UK. More than 403,000 people are diagnosed with the disease each year, a rise largely driven by a growing and ageing population, as cancer becomes more common with age.
The incidence rate has increased to 620 per 100,000 people from 610 a decade ago, partly attributed to rising obesity levels. However, the proportion of cases detected early has barely changed, inching up from 54% to 55%. The NHS is struggling to cope with demand, and cancer waiting times across the UK are among the worst on record.
While death rates have fallen and the proportion of people surviving for a decade or more has risen, Cancer Research UK warns that this progress is at risk of stalling due to pressure on cancer services. The charity says the government's national cancer plan for England is a crucial step, but requires funding and resources to translate ambition into impact.
Michelle Mitchell, the charity's chief executive, said: "More people are being diagnosed with cancer than ever before. Although cancer survival has doubled since the 1970s, progress has slowed over the last decade. Publishing the plan is not a 'job done' on cancer: ambitions to diagnose cancers earlier, meet cancer wait targets and improve best practice treatment must happen quickly."
The charity is calling for widespread introduction of screening programmes, such as for lung cancer, and the accelerated rollout of innovative cancer tests. Around 107,000 patients waited more than 62 days to begin treatment across the UK in 2025. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said a record number of diagnostic tests had been delivered in the last 12 months, backed by an extra £26bn for the NHS, and that the number of patients getting a timely diagnosis was the highest in five years. They added that the national cancer plan aims for 75% of patients diagnosed from 2035 to be cancer-free or living well after five years.
A separate report published by the British Medical Journal found that more than 13,000 patients waited over three days in England's emergency departments last year, with 493,751 spending more than 24 hours in A&E before admission. Mumtaz Patel, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: "I've heard of patients who say they'd rather die at home than come into hospital and be waiting."
