Cancer survival rates have doubled in England and Wales over the last half a century amid a “golden age” for cancer treatment.
That’s according to a landmark report by Cancer Research UK (CRUK), which analysed cancer deaths in the two nations between 1973 and 2023. Despite cases of the disease rising, it noted that the chances of surviving it had doubled.
“As this report sets out, it is a time of both optimism and realism,” said CRUK chief executive, Michelle Mitchell. “We’re in a golden age for cancer research, with advances in digital, genomics, data science and AI reimagining what’s possible and bringing promise for current and future generations.
“However, despite the best efforts of National Health Service staff, patients [in the UK] are waiting too long for diagnosis and treatment, and cancer survival is improving at its slowest rate in the last 50 years.”
The report came as scientists celebrated a series of cancer breakthroughs. In one, the immunotherapy drug Pembrolizumab was shown to halt head and neck cancer for twice as long as existing treatments. A new therapy for advanced breast cancer, meanwhile, was shown to slow the disease, helping patients to live longer.
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