Over a MILLION lives saved from cancer since the 1980s as UK slashes death rates by a quarter
MORE than a million lives have been saved from cancer since the 1980s thanks to better treatment, quitting smoking and NHS screening, analysis shows.
Cancer Research UK said yearly death rates have fallen by a quarter.
It estimated improvements have rescued 560,000 Brits from lung cancer, 236,000 from stomach cancer, 224,000 from bowel and 170,000 from breast tumours.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of CRUK, said: “Cancer is a fixable problem.”
But the charity warns cancer clinics are under crippling strain as NHS figures show treatment delays are some of the worst on record.
Analysis by the charity found cancer death rates peaked in 1985 for men and 1989 for women.
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It said they have since fallen by 27 per cent on average.
If they had stayed the same as in the 80s, 1.2million more people would have died from tumours in the past 30 to 40 years.
An average of 167,000 Brits now fall victim to the disease every year.
The number of people who get the disease is rising because more of us live to old age, when it is much more likely.
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But CRUK says survival chances are improving partly thanks to improved radiotherapy and drugs.
It said NHS screening programmes, which offer routine checks for signs of breast, bowel and cervical cancers, have boosted early diagnosis and survival.
And campaigns to slash smoking rates have helped hundreds of thousands avoid deadly lung disease.
Ms Mitchell warned that deaths from some cancers are on the rise and clinics are struggling to keep up with demand.
Four in 10 patients in England are waiting longer than two months to start treatment after first seeing a doctor.
NHS targets say at least 85 per cent must be treated in that time but the reality is only 59 per cent.
CRUK’s Ms Mitchell added: “A huge number of people in the last 40 years have reached life milestones they didn’t think they’d see and had more invaluable time with their loved ones.
“The fact that over a million lives have been saved from cancer in this time reflects the power of research.
“These trends show that together, we are beating cancer.
“With continued investment in cancer research, strong political leadership, and the continued support of the public, we can build upon the fantastic progress from the last 40 years.”
Dame Cally Palmer, cancer chief at NHS England, called the figures “fantastic progress”.
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She added: “The NHS has been seeing and treating record numbers of people for cancer, with survival rates now at an all-time high.
“Please get checked out if you have any worrying signs or symptoms – it could save your life.”