Key Summary
- England could see 6 million cancer cases by 2040, with diagnoses doubling since the 1970s
- Factors include an ageing population, better detection, and rising risk factors
- Charities urge an ambitious, fully funded National Cancer Plan to prevent NHS overload
England is expected to have six million cancer cases by 2040, with a cancer diagnosis every two minutes, up from one every four minutes in the 1970s, says a coalition of 60 charities, called One Cancer Voice.
They want the government to step up cancer screenings to ensure faster diagnosis and improved prevention policies.
The rise in cancer cases is likely to be due to a range of factors, including a rapidly expanding and ageing population, improvements in detection and diagnosis, and a higher prevalence of known risk factors for the disease.
Charity analysis of pre-pandemic data predicts a 14.2 percent rise in cancer cases over 15 years, with common cancers hitting record highs.
This would include a million new prostrate cancer cases and 900,000 plus breast cancer cases along with 821,000 lung cancer diagnosis.
Currently, the UK records about 55,100 prostate, 56,800 breast, and 49,200 lung cancer cases each year.
Despite breakthroughs in cancer treatments, which has helped double chances of survival when compared with 1970s, the surge in cases threaten to overwhelm the NHS.
The government is expected to publish its National Cancer Plan this autumn.
Cancer Research UK chief executive Michelle Mitchell, described the national plan as a "defining moment".
She said if the government comes up with an “ambitious fully funded strategy, we could save more lives and transform cancer outcomes.”
"This government is prioritising cancer care as we turn around more than a decade of neglect of our NHS,” said an NHS spokesperson.
