The first year survival rate of people with cancer has increased by almost 10% according to some of the latest statistics.
The figures comes as part of NHS England’s newly published one-year cancer survival index, which compares survival rates from 2005 to 2020.
The index shows that, in relation to the survival rate of the general population, 74.6% of people survived a year passed their initial diagnosis in 2020 – an increase of half a percentage point from the year prior and an increase of nine percentage points since 2005.
The Department of Health and Social Care highlight the role of Community Diagnostic Centres in delivering life-saving tests, checks and scans, as well as NHS England’s ongoing prioritisation of those waiting more than two months for cancer treatment.
Helen Whately, Health Minister, said: “These figures are highly encouraging and support those released earlier this year which show improved survival rates across almost all types of cancer. They are evidence of the great strides being made by the NHS, scientists and our incredible cancer charities.
“We are laser focused on fighting cancer on all fronts – prevention, diagnosis, treatment, research and funding – and have opened over 94 ‘one stop shops’ so people can have quicker access to tests, scans and checks.
“We are also taking a vaccine taskforce style approach to cancer research to develop new immune-based cancer therapies, including cancer vaccines, as well as producing a major conditions strategy.
“We know there is more to do and early diagnosis is crucial to improving survival rates even further. Our ambition is to diagnose 75% of cancer at an early stage by 2028 which will help save tens of thousands of lives for longer.”
