Progress Stalled, Cases Expected to Rise
According to Cancer Research UK, progress in reducing cancer deaths has come to a halt as cases in Britain are projected to exceed 600,000 per year by 2050. The charity states that improvements in survival rates now pale in comparison to the breakthroughs of previous decades.
“On the Brink of Disaster”
Breast Cancer Now has warned that Britain is "on the brink of disaster" due to falling breast screening uptake and long wait times. A report from the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that cancer cases in the UK will rise by over a third and deaths by 50% by the middle of the century. The WHO emphasizes the urgent need for action to address the rapidly growing cancer burden.
Increase in Cancer Cases and Deaths
The WHO estimates that cancer cases in the UK will rise from 450,000 in 2022 to 625,000 in 2050. Deaths are also expected to increase from 182,000 to 279,000. Dr. Panagiota Mitrou from the World Cancer Research Fund highlights that around 40% of cancer cases could be prevented through efforts to tackle risk factors such as smoking, drinking, and obesity.
Slowing Pace of Progress
Although the likelihood of dying from cancer is at its lowest in history, the pace of progress in treatment has slowed significantly. Cancer Research UK found that the proportion of patients surviving 10 years or more increased from 32.5% to 41.2% between 1991 and 2001, but only rose from 47.9% to 49.8% between 2011 and 2018. The rate of improvement in the 2010s was five times lower than in the 90s.
Real Leadership and Priority Needed
Cancer Research UK's Chief Michelle Mitchell emphasizes the need for real political leadership and prioritization of cancer care. She highlights that almost half of the population in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, and the number of new cases continues to grow. Baroness Delyth Morgan, Chief Executive at Breast Cancer Now, expresses deep concern over the slowing improvements in cancer survival rates and the impact of long waiting times on breast cancer care.
Global Cancer Surge
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) predicts a 77% surge in cancer cases worldwide by the middle of this century. While richer countries like the UK will see the highest number of diagnoses, survival rates are expected to be worse in poorer nations.
