Cancer survival rates in England and Wales have improved dramatically over the past five decades, yet experts are sounding the alarm: progress is slowing, and the gap between the most and least deadly cancers is wider than ever. A comprehensive study led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and funded by Cancer Research UK has revealed both remarkable gains and troubling stagnation in the fight against cancer, prompting urgent calls for a robust national cancer plan.
The study, published in The Lancet and drawing on records from the National Disease Registration Service for England and the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, analyzed long-term trends for about 10.8 million adults diagnosed with cancer between 1971 and 2018. The findings are striking: the cancer survival index (CSI)—the percentage of patients surviving 10 years after diagnosis—stood at 49.8% for all cancers combined in 2018. That’s a leap from just 23.7% in 1971, meaning people today are more than twice as likely to survive a decade after diagnosis as they were fifty years ago.
Yet, beneath this headline improvement lies a slower pace of progress in recent years. According to the LSHTM researchers, the CSI rose by 4% between 2000/01 and 2005/06 (from 41.2% to 45.2%), but only by 1.4% between 2010/11 and 2015/16 (from 47.9% to 49.3%). The study’s authors attribute this slowdown at least partly to longer waits for diagnosis and treatment—a critical bottleneck that, if left unchecked, could have devastating consequences for patients.
“Thanks to research, most patients today are far more likely to survive their cancer than at any point in the past,” said Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, as quoted by Sky News and The Independent. “But the reality is that this progress is slowing—and for some cancers, it never got going in the first place.”
The disparities between cancer types are especially stark. For example, the 10-year survival rate for testicular cancer is an astounding 97%. In contrast, pancreatic cancer has a grim 4.3% 10-year survival rate. Other cancers show a wide range of outcomes: breast cancer (76.6%), bowel cancer (53.9%), cervical cancer (63.5%), stomach cancer (16.1%), lung cancer (10%), and brain cancer (19.2%), according to the most recent figures from Cancer Research UK.
Screening programs have played a major role in boosting survival rates for certain cancers. As noted by BBC and ITV News, breast, bowel, and cervical cancers have all seen significant improvements, thanks in large part to early detection. However, for cancers like stomach, lung, and brain, the needle has barely moved in decades. The reasons are complex—these cancers are often detected later, are more aggressive, or lack effective treatments—but the upshot is clear: not all patients are reaping the benefits of progress equally.
Professor Michel Coleman, an epidemiologist at LSHTM and one of the study’s lead authors, underscored the urgency of the situation. “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,” he told The Independent and Sky News. Coleman also stressed the importance of maintaining robust cancer registries and data collection: “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 call for a national cancer plan is growing louder. Cancer Research UK and leading researchers are pressing the government to slash waiting times for diagnosis and treatment, improve early diagnosis, and boost participation in screening programs. They also want to see a full rollout of lung cancer screening in England by 2029, a move they believe could save thousands of lives.
“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,” said Michelle Mitchell, as reported by The Guardian and ITV News.
In February 2025, the government launched a call for evidence to help shape this plan, aiming to transform cancer care and reduce deaths. The Department of Health and Social Care has acknowledged the challenges, stating, “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.”
While these steps are promising, many experts and advocates say more must be done—and quickly. The slowdown in survival improvements is seen as a “system-wide challenge,” with researchers warning that allowing the trend to stall would be a grave mistake. The stakes are high: for some cancers, time is quite literally running out.
As policymakers debate the path forward, patients and their families are left hoping the next chapter in cancer care will be one of renewed momentum, equity, and life-saving breakthroughs. The data is clear: the UK has made remarkable strides, but the fight is far from over.
