Latest news with #NHS England
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Cancer treatment ‘revolution' on the horizon, says leading doctor
Cancer treatment is on the "cusp of a golden era", according to NHS England's outgoing national medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis. He expects that the development of drugs harnessing the body's immune system to fight the disease will bring "great advances in cancer survival". In his final interview before retiring, Sir Stephen, 64, told The Times: 'We are at the cusp of a golden era in terms of the way we treat a range of cancers. 'For many cancers now, people should be confident that it's not a death sentence and that more treatments will become available.' He said the rise in people living longer and surviving cancers would continue, alongside cures for some forms of the disease. 'Our understanding of the genetics of cancer, of the way we can target cancers with particular drugs, and how we can use the body's own immune system to target cancers itself, is being revolutionised,' he said. He compared the progress made in treating cancer with the success in developing HIV/Aids treatments since he qualified as a doctor 40 years ago. He also said an increased focus on prevention will help eliminate certain types of cancer. 🧵Today is my last day working at NHS England. It has been an honour to serve as National Medical Director for the last seven and a half years. Thank you to everybody who has supported and encouraged me over the years. — Professor Stephen Powis (@NHSEnglandNMD) July 10, 2025 'We can't prevent all cancers, but there are cancers that we can certainly prevent,' he said, adding that he hopes lung cancers will become 'a lot rarer'. Cancer treatment, he said, would be 'driven by genetics' to become more individualised with the increased ability to pinpoint mutations in cells. His comments come as experts warned of a 'postcode lottery' in cancer services that focus on improving patients' quality of life and providing urgent care for people with the disease. The Royal College of Physicians (RCP), the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), the UK Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (UKASCC) and the Association for Palliative Medicine (APM) have called for urgent investment in supportive and acute oncology. Sir Stephen warned the biggest challenge facing the NHS was the rise in elderly people and the economic pressure that is putting on the younger generation and the economy. Last week, Sir Stephen warned the British Medical Association (BMA) to 'think really hard' about whether industrial action by resident doctors – formerly junior doctors – planned for later this month is justified. He told The Times the walkout would cause 'tens of thousands of appointments and procedures' to be cancelled. The kidney specialist has served as national medical director since January 2018 and held the role throughout the Covid pandemic.
The Independent
14-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Cancer treatment ‘revolution' on the horizon, says leading doctor
Cancer treatment is on the "cusp of a golden era", according to NHS England 's outgoing national medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis. He expects that the development of drugs harnessing the body's immune system to fight the disease will bring "great advances in cancer survival". In his final interview before retiring, Sir Stephen, 64, told The Times: 'We are at the cusp of a golden era in terms of the way we treat a range of cancers. 'For many cancers now, people should be confident that it's not a death sentence and that more treatments will become available.' He said the rise in people living longer and surviving cancers would continue, alongside cures for some forms of the disease. 'Our understanding of the genetics of cancer, of the way we can target cancers with particular drugs, and how we can use the body's own immune system to target cancers itself, is being revolutionised,' he said. He compared the progress made in treating cancer with the success in developing HIV/Aids treatments since he qualified as a doctor 40 years ago. He also said an increased focus on prevention will help eliminate certain types of cancer. 'We can't prevent all cancers, but there are cancers that we can certainly prevent,' he said, adding that he hopes lung cancers will become 'a lot rarer'. Cancer treatment, he said, would be 'driven by genetics' to become more individualised with the increased ability to pinpoint mutations in cells. His comments come as experts warned of a 'postcode lottery' in cancer services that focus on improving patients' quality of life and providing urgent care for people with the disease. The Royal College of Physicians (RCP), the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), the UK Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (UKASCC) and the Association for Palliative Medicine (APM) have called for urgent investment in supportive and acute oncology. Sir Stephen warned the biggest challenge facing the NHS was the rise in elderly people and the economic pressure that is putting on the younger generation and the economy. Last week, Sir Stephen warned the British Medical Association (BMA) to 'think really hard' about whether industrial action by resident doctors – formerly junior doctors – planned for later this month is justified. He told The Times the walkout would cause 'tens of thousands of appointments and procedures' to be cancelled. The kidney specialist has served as national medical director since January 2018 and held the role throughout the Covid pandemic.
Telegraph
14-07-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Cancer treatment ‘on brink of golden age'
Cancer treatment is on the brink of a golden age, the most senior doctor in the NHS has said. Sir Stephen Powis said treatments are 'developing at such a pace' that a diagnosis should no longer be seen as a death sentence. In recent years, advances in immunotherapy, medication and early detection have improved survival rates, with thousands of patients now living longer and with better quality of life. He compared recent progress in fighting cancer to the way treatment for Aids has been revolutionised over the past four decades. 'As a young doctor, I saw the terrible pain and the death HIV/Aids caused to patients. Then, as you roll the clock forward, you see treatments coming in, successful therapies. 'We are now at the point where it is a condition that can be managed, and people can live a normal life that just couldn't have been imagined back in those dark days of the 1980s. When you look at that wider time frame, then goodness me — doesn't medicine advance?' Drugs which train the immune system to kill cancer cells and genetic tests which personalise treatment will all form part of a 'treatment revolution' in the coming years, he told The Times. 'Cancer treatment will get much more individualised. That's being driven by genetics.' In his last interview before stepping down as the medical director of NHS England, he said: 'We are at the cusp of a golden era in terms of the way we treat a range of cancers. People are living longer with cancers and surviving cancers, and we are curing some cancers, and that trend will continue over time. 'For many cancers now, people should be confident that it's not a death sentence and that more treatments will become available. 'Our understanding of the genetics of cancer, of the way we can target cancers with particular drugs, and how we can use the body's own immune system to target cancers itself, is being revolutionised. Half of the population will get cancer in their lifetime and 385,000 people are diagnosed with it every year in Britain. Better treatment means half now survive for 10 years after a diagnosis, compared with one in four in the 1970s. For breast cancer, three in four women now survive at least ten years after diagnosis. Lung cancers will become 'a lot rarer' because of vaccines which have shown promise in clinical trials and tests that identify the genetic profile of lung and breast cancer tumours so patients can quickly be given personalised treatment plans, he said. A revolutionary blood test that allows personalised cancer treatment is already being be rolled out on the NHS in a world first. He also claimed the smoking ban for younger generations will lead to the elimination of some types of cancer. 'Some of the diseases I've seen over my 40 years will be rare diseases for doctors in the next 40 years. The lung cancers that I've seen hopefully will be a lot rarer because of the interventions that we made. 'We can't prevent all cancers, but there are cancers that we can certainly prevent,' he said.
The Independent
14-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Retiring NHS England boss says cancer treatment on ‘cusp of golden era'
Cancer treatment is on the 'cusp of a golden era', according to the outgoing national medical director of NHS England. Professor Sir Stephen Powis said he expects the development of drugs harnessing the body's immune system to fight the disease will bring 'great advances in cancer survival'. In his final interview before retiring, Sir Stephen, 64, told The Times: 'We are at the cusp of a golden era in terms of the way we treat a range of cancers. 'For many cancers now, people should be confident that it's not a death sentence and that more treatments will become available.' He said the rise in people living longer and surviving cancers would continue, alongside cures for some forms of the disease. 'Our understanding of the genetics of cancer, of the way we can target cancers with particular drugs, and how we can use the body's own immune system to target cancers itself, is being revolutionised,' he said. He compared the progress made in treating cancer with the success in developing HIV/Aids treatments since he qualified as a doctor 40 years ago. He also said an increased focus on prevention will help eliminate certain types of cancer. 'We can't prevent all cancers, but there are cancers that we can certainly prevent,' he said, adding that he hopes lung cancers will become 'a lot rarer'. Cancer treatment, he said, would be 'driven by genetics' to become more individualised with the increased ability to pinpoint mutations in cells. His comments come as experts warned of a 'postcode lottery' in cancer services that focus on improving patients' quality of life and providing urgent care for people with the disease. The Royal College of Physicians (RCP), the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), the UK Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (UKASCC) and the Association for Palliative Medicine (APM) have called for urgent investment in supportive and acute oncology. Sir Stephen warned the biggest challenge facing the NHS was the rise in elderly people and the economic pressure that is putting on the younger generation and the economy. Last week, Sir Stephen warned the British Medical Association (BMA) to 'think really hard' about whether industrial action by resident doctors – formerly junior doctors – planned for later this month is justified. He told The Times the walkout would cause 'tens of thousands of appointments and procedures' to be cancelled. The kidney specialist has served as national medical director since January 2018 and held the role throughout the Covid pandemic.
