The government has outlined plans to transform cancer care in the UK, with a major promise to deliver earlier diagnoses and faster treatment. The goal is for three-quarters of cancer patients to survive for at least five years by 2035. This marks a significant step up from current outcomes: data from 2022 shows that five-year cancer survival in the UK stands at 60%, leaving the country trailing behind other developed nations.
Investment in the NHS and Advances in Treatment
Wes Streeting, a kidney cancer survivor, said the government is making a long-term investment in the National Health Service (NHS). This includes increasing the NHS budget by 3% above inflation in the coming years. Combined with advances in medical science and technology, the government believes this investment can significantly improve the life chances of cancer patients.
Focus on Early Diagnosis
Improving early diagnosis is seen as critical. Currently, just over half of cancers are diagnosed at stages one and two, when treatment is most effective. To address this, a targeted lung cancer screening programme is being rolled out for former smokers, aiming to catch the disease earlier and improve survival rates.
Expanding Testing, Technology and Personalised Care
Under the new plans, the government has pledged to deliver 9.5 million additional tests and scans by 2029. There will also be a rapid expansion in the use of precision robotic surgery, alongside greater use of specialist centres to treat rarer cancers in order to improve outcomes.
Genetic testing will be expanded so that more patients can benefit from treatments tailored to their specific type of cancer. In addition, every patient will receive a personalised support plan covering treatment, mental health and employment support. Each patient will also be assigned a named local care lead to provide support after treatment ends.
Meeting Waiting Time Targets Remains a Challenge
A key ambition is to meet the 62-day waiting time target, which covers the period from referral to the start of treatment. At present, around 70% of patients begin treatment within this timeframe, falling short of the 85% target.
Two other targets also form part of the cancer pathway. The 28-day diagnosis target is currently being met, but the 31-day target covering the time from a decision to treat to treatment actually starting is being missed, highlighting ongoing pressures in the system.
Workforce Shortages Raise Concerns
The Royal College of Radiologists has warned that there are not enough specialist cancer staff to meet demand. Workforce surveys suggest a 30% shortfall in radiologists and a 15% gap in clinical oncologists.
College president Dr Stephen Harden said that while plans to diagnose and treat cancer faster are welcome, without sustained investment in the specialist workforce there will not be enough doctors to deliver timely and effective care for patients.
UK Lagging Behind on Survival Rates
Cancer Research UK chief executive Michelle Mitchell said the promises represent a significant commitment that will require a wide range of measures to succeed. She warned that England continues to lag behind comparable countries on cancer survival and stressed that change is vital.
Five-year survival data analysed by the charity shows the UK consistently underperforms on cancers of the stomach, colon, pancreas, ovaries and lung. For lung cancer specifically, around 15% of UK patients survive for five years, compared with more than 20% in countries such as Norway and Canada.
Preventing Cancer Through Lifestyle Changes
The plan also highlights prevention, with estimates suggesting that around four in 10 cancer cases could be avoided through lifestyle changes. Proposed measures include extra support to help people quit smoking, increased access to weight loss drugs, and mandatory ID checks for sunbed use to ensure the ban on under-18s is properly enforced.
Together, these measures form an ambitious attempt to close the cancer survival gap and improve outcomes for patients across the UK but experts warn that success will depend on sustained investment, particularly in the cancer workforce.
For those of us working at Astronomical AI, these commitments highlight why innovation in early diagnosis and precision treatment is so important. Lung cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers largely because it is often diagnosed too late, when treatment options are more limited. By using AI to support earlier detection, improve diagnostic accuracy and enable more personalised treatment pathways, our work directly addresses the challenges outlined in this plan. As the NHS looks to expand screening, increase capacity and improve outcomes, AI-driven technologies like those we are developing at Astronomical AI will be vital in helping clinicians diagnose cancer earlier, treat patients faster and ultimately improve survival rates.
This blog post was written based on this article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly139el05go and authored by Zane Ashraf, Product Manager.