UK risks falling even further behind on cancer survival without a dedicated cancer plan, leading cancer doctors warn– The Lancet Oncology
The new Government has been handed a “ticking time bomb” on cancer care, as leading clinicians warn that the country may fall even further behind without immediate action. Prominent cancer doctors, in a publication in The Lancet Oncology, are calling for a dedicated cancer plan to ensure the UK becomes a leader, not a lagger, in the global fight against cancer. They warn that “without a dedicated cancer plan, more patients with cancer will undoubtedly die.”
The authors, including the chair of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership, and Chief Medical Officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, warn that the Government has inherited what they describe as an “incomprehensible” cancer policy, noting that the absence of a dedicated cancer plan contradicts international best practices and neglects the needs of cancer patients.
They caution that historic cancer policies and decisions have left the UK’s cancer outcomes lagging behind those of nations like Denmark, France, and Norway. Although the Government has appointed Lord Darzi to gather evidence for his independent review of the NHS, which is expected to pave the way for a new 10-year plan, the authors stress that cancer care must be “firmly embedded at the top of the agenda.” The article is a rallying call on the Government to act “quickly and decisively” to seize the “opportunity to majorly turn the tide on cancer”
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The article outlines several critical points for the Government to tackle:
- The UK lags far behind other nations in maintaining a consistent cancer policy, with all four UK nations ranking at the bottom of the league table.
- Around a third of cancer patients face treatment delays under the NHS 62-day treatment waiting times target.
- Alarmingly, up to 50% of patients are still not receiving evidence-based treatment.
- The NHS consistently overlooks off-the-shelf technologies that, if implemented, could dramatically reduce cancer waiting times and improve survival rates.
- The country’s cancer research focus is too narrow, risking the loss of its global reputation.
- There is a dire need for more research-active hospitals, as patients treated in these institutions have better outcomes.
- The UK urgently needs a cancer service fit for the future—patients with cancer in the UK deserve no less than patients in other countries.
As the Secretary of State for Health’s team develops this new NHS strategy, the leading cancer doctors write that reinstating a National Cancer Plan is crucial. With cancer affecting 1 in 2 people, the absence of strategic direction will only see the UK continue to fall behind in cancer outcomes. The authors also highlight that the Health and Social Care Select Committee emphasised the need for a dedicated cancer plan in its interim report before Parliament was dissolved for the General Election. With a new committee chair expected to be appointed in the coming months the cancer experts call for action to make the UK a leader on cancer.
Professor Mark Lawler, Professor of Digital Health at Queen’s University Belfast, chair of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership and lead author on the paper said:
“We’re at a critical moment for cancer care in the UK. Will we stand by as cancer outcomes continue to decline and patients die who could have been saved, or will we take decisive steps to fix this crisis? It is utterly incomprehensible that a country like ours does not have a dedicated cancer plan. The current Government may have inherited this problem from the last one, but it’s like being handed a ticking time bomb. Our research shows that countries with dedicated cancer plans and consistently implemented policies achieve better survival rates. If there was ever a time to act and ensure the UK leads in cancer care rather than lagging behind, it is now. I urge the Government to work with us, harness the solutions we know can make a real difference, and deliver the cancer plan this country urgently needs.”
Professor Pat Price, Imperial College London, founder of Catch Up With Cancer and chair of Radiotherapy UK, said:
“One of the best decisions the Government can make on cancer is to reinstate a dedicated cancer plan. The Government has acknowledged that the NHS is broken and is reviewing the necessary actions. Whatever action they take, a new cancer plan to get us out of this mess must be at the top of the agenda We’re at the bottom of the cancer league tables, and delays to cancer care remain alarmingly high, with around a third of patients waiting too long for their treatment. We know that every four weeks of delay in cancer treatment can increase the risk of death by 10%. The argument for action has never been clearer.“
Professor Ajay Aggarwal, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said:
“The UK has all the ingredients to be a global cancer research powerhouse, whether in trials, data science or applied social sciences. However, this critically requires a balanced, needs-led, well-funded national cancer research portfolio with a ten-year strategic vision to achieve impact.”
