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Good News: Cancer Survival Doubles
The number of people surviving the most common types of cancer has doubled since the NHS was founded 60 years ago.
Survival for colon cancer has risen dramatically from 18 per cent to 47 per cent, while breast cancer survival has more than doubled from 37 per cent to 77 per cent since 1946, according to a new report by Cancer Research UK.
The researchers compared cancer statistics in England and Wales from the start of the NHS to the present day. They found that in 1950 cancer killed nearly as many people in a single year as all the British soldiers who were killed during the six years of the Second World War.
Now, the research suggests that cervical cancer survival rates have increased substantially from 35 per cent to 61 per cent, while rectal cancer has more than doubled from 22 per cent to 50 per cent. Plus, bowel cancer death rates have dropped by well over half despite the increase in incidence, and deaths from stomach cancer have plummeted from 14,400 in 1948 to 5,000 in 2008.
Because people are living longer now and because the population is much larger, the overall number of cases of cancer has increased. Yet even though cancer is significantly more common now than it was back then, you’re twice as likely to survive it today.
The estimated number of breast cancer cases has risen from around 10,000 in 1948 to more than 40,000 in 2008. Lifestyle factors have played their part in this – particularly having fewer children later in life. The NHS Cancer Screening Programme has also meant that many more breast cancers are detected earlier. But early detection and improved treatment account for the huge improvement in survival.
“The improvement in cancer survival, over the years, is a testament to the world class research that has resulted in earlier diagnosis and better treatments for patients,” said Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK.
"But we want to see further improvements in survival in the future as we improve our ability to detect cancer early and as treatments become increasingly tailored to individual patients."
But it’s not all good news. Although survival for cancer of the stomach has improved (4 per cent to 13 per cent) and lung cancer survival has gone up (3 per cent to 6 per cent), they both remain difficult to beat. Experts say increased smoking patterns lie behind the statistics for lung cancer.
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Prostate cancer cases rose dramatically from around 3,000 in 1948 to over 40,000 in 2008 too, and the statistics show a shocking increase in the rates of malignant melanoma – the potentially fatal form of skin cancer. Even after allowing for the population increase, melanoma incidence rates in men have increased 13 fold, and in women the rates increased more than six fold.
Experts say such a rise in incidence can be partially attributed to the package holiday explosion that began in the 1960s, allowing tens of thousands to holiday in the sun for the first time. Sunburn doubles the risk of skin cancer.
"The improvements in survival rates over the past 60 years for breast, colorectal and some other cancers are extremely encouraging, as is the fall in mortality rates,” said Professor Mike Richards, National Cancer Director. “But the estimated increase in incidence of some cancers emphasises the need for further attention to be given to prevention and early diagnosis of cancer."