The number of people in the UK being diagnosed with cancer has reached a record high, with one person diagnosed every 80 seconds, a report reveals.
Cancer Research UK found that more than 403,000 people were being diagnosed with the disease each year, largely due to a growing and ageing population, as people are more likely to develop cancer as they get older.
The NHS is struggling to cope with rising demand for care. Cancer waiting times across the UK are among the worst on record, according to the report.
Incidences have risen to 620 per 100,000 people, from 610 a decade ago, partly driven by rising obesity levels. The proportion of cases diagnosed early has barely changed, inching up from 54% to 55%.
There have been some major successes. Death rates have fallen, and the proportion of people surviving for a decade or more has risen. But Cancer Research UK said this progress was now at risk of stalling, in part due to pressure on cancer services.
It said the government’s recent national cancer plan for England was a crucial step towards improving care but there needed to be “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.
“The UK government’s recently published national cancer plan for England could make a big difference, but only if it turns into improvements for cancer patients. 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.”
Cancer Research UK wants screening programmes such as for lung cancer to be introduced widely and effectively, and the rollout of innovative cancer tests to be accelerated.
About 107,000 cancer patients waited more than 62 days to begin treatment across the UK in 2025, its report said.
The charity praised the government’s commitments to meet waiting times targets in England but said the situation was much worse in Northern Ireland and called for more investment across the UK in specialist staff and equipment.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We have delivered a record number of diagnostic tests in the last 12 months, backed by an extra £26bn for the NHS – and the number of patients getting a cancer diagnosis or all-clear on time is the highest in five years – but we are not complacent.
“Our national cancer plan sets out how patients will receive a diagnosis faster, treatment sooner and better support to live well with cancer, with the aim of 75% of patients diagnosed from 2035 to be cancer-free or living well after five years. Our historic tobacco and vapes bill, which is due to come into law soon, will also protect future generations from cancer.”
A separate report published on Wednesday found more than 13,000 patients waited more than three days in England’s emergency departments last year.
In total, 493,751 patients spent more than 24 hours in A&E before being admitted to a hospital bed, transferred or discharged last year, according to the British Medical Journal. Of those, 13,386 waited at least three days.
Mumtaz Patel, the 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.”