Latest news with #NationalCancerPlan
Japan Today
6 days ago
- Health
- Japan Today
New cancer plan urged as survival improvements in England slow
A doctor points at a screen with the tests of a patient suffering from cervical cancer Improvements in cancer survival rates in England and Wales have slowed down significantly since 2010, according to a major study released Wednesday, leading to calls for an urgent national cancer plan. The study, conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, measured the survival index for 10.8 million adults diagnosed with cancer between 1971 and 2018, accounting for variables like age, sex, and cancer type. It found substantial improvements over the 48-year period, with the five-year survival index increasing from 28.8 percent in 1971–72 to 56.6 percent in 2018. However, the pace of progress has slowed in recent years. The 10-year survival index improved by four percent between 2000–01 and 2005–06 and only 1.4 percent between 2010–11 and 2015–16. The slowdown since 2010 "is likely to be at least partly explained by longer waits for diagnosis and treatment," said the report. The deceleration has been observed across many individual cancers, "implying a system-wide challenge," said the study, funded by the Cancer Research UK charity. Most notably, the 10-year survival index for breast, cervix, rectum, prostate, testis, and uterus cancers plateaued in the last 10–15 years, while the index for larynx cancers decreased. Pancreatic cancer survival, at 4.3 percent in 2018, has shown minimal change since 1971–72. The study calls for a "new, long-term National Cancer Plan" to "bring cancer survival trends back towards the best in the world". National cancer strategies have been part of health policy in England and Wales since 2000. The fourth national cancer strategy was published in 2015 but is now considered outdated as the current trajectory has failed to match its ambitious targets. Plans for a fifth plan were withdrawn in January 2023, "leaving England as one of the few high-income countries in which a national cancer plan was not a central pillar of national health policy," said the report. © 2025 AFP
The Sun
6 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
England cancer survival improvements slow, prompting calls for new strategy
LONDON: Improvements in cancer survival rates in England and Wales have slowed down significantly since 2010, according to a major study released Wednesday, leading to calls for an urgent national cancer plan. The study, conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, measured the survival index for 10.8 million adults diagnosed with cancer between 1971 and 2018, accounting for variables like age, sex, and cancer type. It found substantial improvements over the 48-year period, with the five-year survival index increasing from 28.8% in 1971–72 to 56.6% in 2018. However, the pace of progress has slowed in recent years. The 10-year survival index improved by 4% between 2000–01 and 2005–06 and only 1.4% between 2010–11 and 2015–16. The slowdown since 2010 'is likely to be at least partly explained by longer waits for diagnosis and treatment,' said the report. The deceleration has been observed across many individual cancers, 'implying a system-wide challenge,' said the study, funded by the Cancer Research UK charity. Most notably, the 10-year survival index for breast, cervix, rectum, prostate, testis, and uterus cancers plateaued in the last 10–15 years, while the index for larynx cancers decreased. Pancreatic cancer survival, at 4.3% in 2018, has shown minimal change since 1971–72. The study calls for a 'new, long-term National Cancer Plan' to 'bring cancer survival trends back towards the best in the world'. National cancer strategies have been part of health policy in England and Wales since 2000. The fourth national cancer strategy was published in 2015 but is now considered outdated as the current trajectory has failed to match its ambitious targets. Plans for a fifth plan were withdrawn in January 2023, 'leaving England as one of the few high-income countries in which a national cancer plan was not a central pillar of national health policy,' said the report. – AFP
South Wales Guardian
7 days ago
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
Speed of improvement in cancer survival rates ‘slowing', say experts
The news comes as a study suggests survival between the most and least deadly types of the disease is wider than ever before. A national cancer plan was 'essential' to 'bring cancer survival trends back towards the best in the world', researchers said. The study, led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and funded by Cancer Research UK, analysed long-term trends in the cancer survival index (CSI) for adults across England and Wales from 1971 to 2018. Using records from the National Disease Registration Service for England and the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, experts estimated net survival for up to 10 years after diagnosis for around 10.8 million people. They found that in 2018, the CSI for all cancers combined a decade after diagnosis was 49.8%, higher than the CSI at one year for those diagnosed in 1971/72. Researchers hailed the figure as 'remarkable', but warned that the 'speed of improvement in survival has slowed down'. In the five years from 2000/01 to 2005/06, the 10-year CSI rose by 4%, from 41.2% to 45.2%. But between 2010/11 and 2015/16, the rise was 1.4%, from 47.9% to 49.3%. There were also major gaps in survival when it came to different cancer types. For example, 10-year survival for testicular cancer was 97%, compared with 4.3% for pancreatic cancer. Screening programmes had bolstered survival rates for cancers in the breast, bowel and cervix, according to Cancer Research UK. But survival for other types, such as stomach, lung and brain cancer, had increased by only a small amount in the past 50 years. Writing in the Lancet Regional Health – Europe, researchers warned this slowdown for individual cancers implied a 'system-wide challenge'. Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: 'Thanks to research, most patients today are far more likely to survive their cancer than at any point in the past. 'But the reality is that this progress is slowing – and for some cancers, it never got going in the first place.' The Government launched a call for evidence to help shape a national cancer plan in February. The blueprint aims to outline actions to transform how the disease is treated in a bid to reduce deaths. Ms Mitchell said: 'The upcoming National Cancer Plan for England must include commitments to spot more cancers earlier, as well as backing research into new treatments so that each patient, regardless of their diagnosis, can hope for more moments with the people they love.' Michel Coleman, a professor of epidemiology and statistics at LSHTM, said: 'Since I began my career in cancer research, I've seen substantial increases in survival for most types of cancer. 'Our understanding of cancer biology has expanded, effective screening programmes have been introduced, and new treatments have been developed. Allowing this trend to stall will have devastating consequences. 'This study was only possible because of data on millions of patients from cancer registries in England and Wales. 'It's vital that the Government provides the political and financial support to ensure we maintain this crucial data. Without these, the Government will be flying blind on cancer control. 'The National Cancer Plan is a chance to improve NHS cancer pathways and reap the benefits of new research – the Government must take it.' Cancer Research UK is calling for the national cancer plan to slash waiting times for diagnosis and treatment, saying some patients face unacceptable delays. The plan should also improve early diagnosis of cancer, with plans to boost participation in existing screening programmes and a commitment to rolling out lung cancer screening fully in England by 2029. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We are prioritising cancer care as we turn around more than a decade of neglect of our NHS. 'We're already seeing progress, with 95,000 more people having cancer diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days between July 2024 and May 2025, compared to the same period the previous year. 'The National Cancer Plan will set out how we will improve survival rates further and address the variation between different cancer types.'
North Wales Chronicle
7 days ago
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Speed of improvement in cancer survival rates ‘slowing', say experts
The news comes as a study suggests survival between the most and least deadly types of the disease is wider than ever before. A national cancer plan was 'essential' to 'bring cancer survival trends back towards the best in the world', researchers said. The study, led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and funded by Cancer Research UK, analysed long-term trends in the cancer survival index (CSI) for adults across England and Wales from 1971 to 2018. Using records from the National Disease Registration Service for England and the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, experts estimated net survival for up to 10 years after diagnosis for around 10.8 million people. They found that in 2018, the CSI for all cancers combined a decade after diagnosis was 49.8%, higher than the CSI at one year for those diagnosed in 1971/72. Researchers hailed the figure as 'remarkable', but warned that the 'speed of improvement in survival has slowed down'. In the five years from 2000/01 to 2005/06, the 10-year CSI rose by 4%, from 41.2% to 45.2%. But between 2010/11 and 2015/16, the rise was 1.4%, from 47.9% to 49.3%. There were also major gaps in survival when it came to different cancer types. For example, 10-year survival for testicular cancer was 97%, compared with 4.3% for pancreatic cancer. Screening programmes had bolstered survival rates for cancers in the breast, bowel and cervix, according to Cancer Research UK. But survival for other types, such as stomach, lung and brain cancer, had increased by only a small amount in the past 50 years. Writing in the Lancet Regional Health – Europe, researchers warned this slowdown for individual cancers implied a 'system-wide challenge'. Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: 'Thanks to research, most patients today are far more likely to survive their cancer than at any point in the past. 'But the reality is that this progress is slowing – and for some cancers, it never got going in the first place.' The Government launched a call for evidence to help shape a national cancer plan in February. The blueprint aims to outline actions to transform how the disease is treated in a bid to reduce deaths. Ms Mitchell said: 'The upcoming National Cancer Plan for England must include commitments to spot more cancers earlier, as well as backing research into new treatments so that each patient, regardless of their diagnosis, can hope for more moments with the people they love.' Michel Coleman, a professor of epidemiology and statistics at LSHTM, said: 'Since I began my career in cancer research, I've seen substantial increases in survival for most types of cancer. 'Our understanding of cancer biology has expanded, effective screening programmes have been introduced, and new treatments have been developed. Allowing this trend to stall will have devastating consequences. 'This study was only possible because of data on millions of patients from cancer registries in England and Wales. 'It's vital that the Government provides the political and financial support to ensure we maintain this crucial data. Without these, the Government will be flying blind on cancer control. 'The National Cancer Plan is a chance to improve NHS cancer pathways and reap the benefits of new research – the Government must take it.' Cancer Research UK is calling for the national cancer plan to slash waiting times for diagnosis and treatment, saying some patients face unacceptable delays. The plan should also improve early diagnosis of cancer, with plans to boost participation in existing screening programmes and a commitment to rolling out lung cancer screening fully in England by 2029. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We are prioritising cancer care as we turn around more than a decade of neglect of our NHS. 'We're already seeing progress, with 95,000 more people having cancer diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days between July 2024 and May 2025, compared to the same period the previous year. 'The National Cancer Plan will set out how we will improve survival rates further and address the variation between different cancer types.'
Rhyl Journal
7 days ago
- Health
- Rhyl Journal
Speed of improvement in cancer survival rates ‘slowing', say experts
The news comes as a study suggests survival between the most and least deadly types of the disease is wider than ever before. A national cancer plan was 'essential' to 'bring cancer survival trends back towards the best in the world', researchers said. The study, led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and funded by Cancer Research UK, analysed long-term trends in the cancer survival index (CSI) for adults across England and Wales from 1971 to 2018. Using records from the National Disease Registration Service for England and the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, experts estimated net survival for up to 10 years after diagnosis for around 10.8 million people. They found that in 2018, the CSI for all cancers combined a decade after diagnosis was 49.8%, higher than the CSI at one year for those diagnosed in 1971/72. Researchers hailed the figure as 'remarkable', but warned that the 'speed of improvement in survival has slowed down'. In the five years from 2000/01 to 2005/06, the 10-year CSI rose by 4%, from 41.2% to 45.2%. But between 2010/11 and 2015/16, the rise was 1.4%, from 47.9% to 49.3%. There were also major gaps in survival when it came to different cancer types. For example, 10-year survival for testicular cancer was 97%, compared with 4.3% for pancreatic cancer. Screening programmes had bolstered survival rates for cancers in the breast, bowel and cervix, according to Cancer Research UK. But survival for other types, such as stomach, lung and brain cancer, had increased by only a small amount in the past 50 years. Writing in the Lancet Regional Health – Europe, researchers warned this slowdown for individual cancers implied a 'system-wide challenge'. Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: 'Thanks to research, most patients today are far more likely to survive their cancer than at any point in the past. 'But the reality is that this progress is slowing – and for some cancers, it never got going in the first place.' The Government launched a call for evidence to help shape a national cancer plan in February. The blueprint aims to outline actions to transform how the disease is treated in a bid to reduce deaths. Ms Mitchell said: 'The upcoming National Cancer Plan for England must include commitments to spot more cancers earlier, as well as backing research into new treatments so that each patient, regardless of their diagnosis, can hope for more moments with the people they love.' Michel Coleman, a professor of epidemiology and statistics at LSHTM, said: 'Since I began my career in cancer research, I've seen substantial increases in survival for most types of cancer. 'Our understanding of cancer biology has expanded, effective screening programmes have been introduced, and new treatments have been developed. Allowing this trend to stall will have devastating consequences. 'This study was only possible because of data on millions of patients from cancer registries in England and Wales. 'It's vital that the Government provides the political and financial support to ensure we maintain this crucial data. Without these, the Government will be flying blind on cancer control. 'The National Cancer Plan is a chance to improve NHS cancer pathways and reap the benefits of new research – the Government must take it.' Cancer Research UK is calling for the national cancer plan to slash waiting times for diagnosis and treatment, saying some patients face unacceptable delays. The plan should also improve early diagnosis of cancer, with plans to boost participation in existing screening programmes and a commitment to rolling out lung cancer screening fully in England by 2029. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We are prioritising cancer care as we turn around more than a decade of neglect of our NHS. 'We're already seeing progress, with 95,000 more people having cancer diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days between July 2024 and May 2025, compared to the same period the previous year. 'The National Cancer Plan will set out how we will improve survival rates further and address the variation between different cancer types.'
